


Windfall

by diamondbaek, exohousewarming



Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: CHANXING - Freeform, Fluff, M/M, Smut, barista!au, musician!AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-28
Updated: 2017-09-28
Packaged: 2019-01-06 12:10:13
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 42,880
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12211029
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/diamondbaek/pseuds/diamondbaek, https://archiveofourown.org/users/exohousewarming/pseuds/exohousewarming
Summary: Prompt number:350Side Pairings (if any):slight Kim Jongdae/ Kim MinseokWarnings:SmutSummary:Chanyeol loves his life working in the cafe he owns and everyday is normal and peaceful and fun - except for the nights when a handsome man comes in, sits in one of the chairs in the corner and cries





	Windfall

**Author's Note:**

> **Author Note:** My first ever fic! I hope you enjoy reading it, even though it might be just a bit cliche :3

Home.

There was simply no other word to describe it; the smell of coffee wafting through the morning air, the sunlight illuminating the shop through its open glass windows, shining its light across the scattered couches, love seats, tables and beanbags.

He closed his eyes and imagined the sounds that would be there later in the day when the customers started rolling in. It was all white noise to him – the sound of people talking about their everyday lives, the coffee grinder, the milk being steamed; not too loud to be distracting but enough to block that voice in his head.

Chanyeol opened his eyes and smiled at all of it from his spot behind the counter, leaning forward on his arms.

Even after months of owning it, seeing it every morning, he still could not get over how this small, comfortable café of his felt more of a home than any of the other homes he’s had.

On the walls were photos of him and his friends, artistically taken to match the café’s ambiance, proof of his memories and love for his job and current life. Over on the corner was a raised platform and on it, taking up most of the space was a grand piano he barely knew how to play but enjoyed playing all the same.

Open mic nights were by far his favorite. People filled up his shop with warm drinks between their hands as they listened and cheered for the talent that had the courage to go up on stage and perform, the acoustics - the music - reverberating around the place perfectly.

Sometimes, more often than not, his regulars would call for him to play his guitar onstage and, of course, who was he to deny them  _ his  _ talent.

That was what filled his days: taking care of the shop, brewing coffee, baking pastries and cakes – yet with all of that on his hands, it had never asked him to yield his love for music, not once.

“Falling in love with inanimate objects again, Chanyeol?” Minseok said, hip-bumping him back to reality, three plates of baked goods balanced precariously on his arms.

He bent over and slid them inside the transparent, glass cabinet for all the world to see, placing them prettily side by side.

“How can you not fall in love with this place, hyung?” Chanyeol expressed, spreading his arms wide and hip-bumping Minseok back, causing the shorter man to step back a few steps and playfully glare at his friend.

“I don’t even know why I work for you, ” Minseok rolled his eyes, walking back to the kitchen where Kyungsoo was baking more muffins, wearing a black apron already covered in flour.

Chanyeol followed him in, grabbing the mittens hooked by the door and slipping them on before checking the already baking muffins in the oven.

“Thanks for helping me out so early in the morning, guys. You could be doing so many other things during your break and yet here you are –“ Chanyeol stood, pushing the oven back close and putting his hands over his heart, looking touched.

“- slaving for me instead.”

He leaned against Kyungsoo and the latter frowned in annoyance before pushing the giant away.

“I’m only here, Chanyeol, because you let me use your kitchen all I want and the coffee you make here actually isn’t half bad,” Kyungsoo stated, going back to his kneading as Minseok nodded in agreement.

“Also, we’re not  _ slaving _ . You’re definitely paying us for all of this,” Minseok said, poking Chanyeol in the ribs as he passed by.

Chanyeol pouted as he rubbed the spot but grinned all the same. He really was grateful to have his friends support him with his dream.

“You guys are breaking my heart.”

“You’re doing a good job with the place,” Jongdae said, sliding unto a high stool facing the counter and reaching for a muffin before Kyungsoo could swat his hand away.

“You  _ are _ paying for that, right?” Chanyeol glared at Jongdae as he munched away on the muffin.

“You still owe me for last month’s rent.”

“I don’t even live with you guys anymore.”

“Thank God for that. It’s a whole lot cleaner now that you’re gone,” Baekhyun said, coming out of nowhere to sit beside Jongdae on the counter.

_ Trouvaille _ , his café had opened only an hour ago and there were only a few customers scattered here and there, but a lot had already come and gone with their regular cups of coffee.

“Cleaner, yes. Quieter, no. Not with these two beagles still at the apartment.” Kyungsoo said, waving a stirrer in their direction.

Jongdae and Baekhyun both stick their tongues out at Kyungsoo as he turned his back on them.

The four of them had previously lived in an apartment together, close to the university they all went to but closer still downtown, where they would regularly stay out late at parties or arcades.

Chanyeol had moved out three months ago, moving instead to the apartment above his shop, which was large enough for two people. A fact Baekhyun usually abused whenever he was too drunk to stumble back to their old apartment.

Giggling rose from a table by the large glass windows and Baekhyun, Jongdae and Chanyeol glanced over, Kyungsoo having slunk back inside the kitchens.

Minseok was serving two girls their drinks and cakes, a handsome grin on his face.

“I think I understand why your business is suddenly flourishing, Yeollie,” Baekhyun chuckled turning back to the front.

Chanyeol wiggled his eyebrows at Minseok as he walked back behind the counter.

“I see someone’s famous,” Jongdae teased.

“You should see the amount of girls  _ and guys _ in here whenever it’s Jongin’s shift. I’m pretty sure all of them have his schedule memorized to the dot. Besides they wouldn’t be squealing like that if they knew my preferences,” Minseok winked at Jongdae, making the latter blush furiously.

Chanyeol and Baekhyun pretended not to notice as they exchanged knowing glances but kept silent.

“Why don’t people come over when it’s my shift?” Baekhyun pouted, propping his chin up with a hand and stirring the coffee Chanyeol had settled in front of him with the other.

“People see enough of your face in uni, Baek.”

A warm breeze flew in with its usual accompaniment of wind chimes, signaling the arrival of a customer.

Chanyeol separated from the noisy group to man the register, a welcoming smile already on his face – only for it to falter just a bit at the sight of the customer waiting for him.

Despite the mask covering the bottom half of his face, he was gorgeous. It was a rare day indeed when Chanyeol would admire the beauty of  _ a man. _

“Good morning,” Chanyeol greeted his customer with an even brighter smile than before.

“Good morning.” His voice was muffled by the mask but his smile reached his eyes, making the sides crinkle a bit. “I’ll have one of your famous Caramel Macchiatos, please.”

And as he moved to make the man’s drink, he caught the eyes of his friends who had gone silent at the sight of the customer.

“What name should I put on the cup,” Chanyeol said over his shoulder. The man was now scrolling through his phone, a lock of hair, that Chanyeol shouldn’t have even noticed, fell forward attractively over his forehead.

He looked up briefly and flashed him another smile beneath the mask.

“Lay.”

 

“He was kinda cute,” Jongdae said nudging Chanyeol as he wiped the tables clean, a few minutes after the man named Lay had finally left with his cup of caramel macchiato with him.

“Cute?” Baekhyun questioned from his seat on the bench in front of the piano. “He was fucking gorgeous.”

“I agree,” Minseok piped in from where he wiped down the counter.

Chanyeol rolled his eyes but said no more on the matter choosing to just silently fall into the sound of Baekhyun’s jazzy playing.

The man,  _ Lay _ , was incredibly attractive but Chanyeol could almost swear he had seen him somewhere before. He really was familiar.

“A lot of customers should be arriving soon.” Minseok mused.

“How so?” Jongdae said, arranging the muffins on the rack, now and then popping one into his mouth.

“It’s almost Jongin’s shift for the day.”

“And if you don’t stop eating those muffins, Jongdae, I’ll lock you in the kitchen with Kyungsoo,” Minseok added.

Indeed a wave of customers arrived only a few minutes after Jongin did. Still in the changing room, already a couple of girls were asking where he was.

Minseok, at the sight, chuckled as he finished his shift, claiming he had a few errands to run and asked Jongdae to come with him.

Chanyeol chuckled as Jongdae was practically dragged by Minseok out the café.

Baekhyun, loving music just as much as Chanyeol did, still sat the piano, filling the air with his playing and creating an ambiance for the place the customers seemed to enjoy.

“You know, I should pay you double for the customers you rake in whenever you’re here,” Chanyeol joked, fluffing Jongin’s hair as he came out of the dressing room, tying an apron around his waist.

Jongin merely grinned and went to serve the customers eagerly waiting for him.

And for the rest of the afternoon it was just like that, like any other day; Chanyeol at the register, Jongin and – when he finally arrived – Sehun, going around and serving tables, Kyungsoo, like a demon from hell, working the oven and baking whatever he wanted and Baekhyun, being the music major he was, jazzing up the place.

It was Chanyeol’s definition of home.

 

“This is the third time this week, eighth time this month, he’s come in and asked for nothing but a coffee only for him to stalk over to the corner and cry before leaving half an hour later.” Chanyeol whispered to Kyungsoo as they watched the silently crying man in the corner.

The man looked down at his cup of coffee, his face contorted in anguish, his eyebrows furrowed and lips pursed. He looked out the window now and then, wiping at his cheeks with his sleeves.

He looked like that every night he was at Chanyeol’s shop. Some nights, he’d just look sad but some nights, like the one today, he’d cry and bury his head in his hands.

Chanyeol considered approaching him and talking about it whenever he walked through his doors but every single time he does, Chanyeol manages to talk himself out of it.

But not this time.

“Why don’t you go on home, Kyungsoo? I’ve got this.” Chanyeol smiled down at his friend.

The others had already left after Jongin’s shift had ended, bickering about which bar they should go to this time as they walked out the door. Kyungsoo had only stayed behind, Chanyeol knew, because he had wanted to keep him company.

But, of course, that plan backfired when an hour later Jongin called Kyungsoo, drunk off his ass, wondering where their designated driver was.

“Are you sure?” Kyungsoo looked over at him and then at the customer doubtfully.

“Who else could make him stop crying but me,” Chanyeol stated confidently. “Your Happy Virus?”

Kyungsoo merely rolled his eyes and patted him on the shoulder as he passed him by.

“Good luck, Chanyeol. I gotta pick up three idiots now.”

Chanyeol chuckled.

“I wonder where Jongdae and Minseok are,” he mused.

“They better not be fucking back at the apartment,” Kyungsoo muttered, pushing the door open and waving without looking back.

From the corner of his eye, he saw the stranger shiver when the night breeze blew in from the open door.

He now cupped his untouched cup of coffee in his hands, no doubt trying to warm himself, but judging by the fact that he had ordered that more than 20 minutes ago, Chanyeol doubted that cup of coffee had much warmth left to share.

So he quickly set about making two more cups of coffee before the stranger decided to leave, one for himself and the other for his customer. Since it was a bit late and it was most likely that this man would be his last customer for the night, Chanyeol figured giving him free coffee wouldn’t hurt.

Five minutes later, with two steaming cups of coffee in his hands, he walked over to the table in the corner and sat down in the chair opposite to the stranger.

He had not noticed Chanyeol approach but now fixed him with a startled stare as he settled himself down on the chair, sipping on one cup and offering the other to him.

The man blinked as he realized what the situation was and shook his head as if waking himself up.

“Oh, I already have one,” the man said, lifting his cold cup in emphasis, producing a weak smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes.

“Just take it. I’d be really offended if you didn’t,” Chanyeol said with a playful grin on his lips.

The stranger furrowed his eyebrows just a bit in confusion but nodded and put aside his previous cup for the new one, sighing as the heat from the cup seeped through his fingers. He gave Chanyeol a half-smile before taking a sip, glancing everywhere – probably because he couldn’t take the awkwardness steadily growing between them.

“Thank you,” the man murmured as he put the cup down from his lips.

Chanyeol smiled and nodded.

“Isn’t it a bit late for you to be hanging out at cafes alone though?” Chanyeol cocked his head in curiosity.

“Would it be better to hang out alone anywhere else?”

And from the man’s expression, Chanyeol could see he was genuinely confused by the question and he barked out a laugh.

“Well, you’ve got a point there,” Chanyeol said, shaking his head in amusement. “Crying in a café is better and a hell lot more comfortable than crying in a club.”

The man’s face fell at the mention of ‘crying’ and Chanyeol stumbled to find the right words to apologize.

“No – uh – I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have mentioned that. There’s nothing wrong with crying at all,” Chanyeol burst out, trying desperately to fix the situation. “My friends tell me I cry a lot as well. Just this morning, I started tearing up when I burnt myself on the stove.”

“What? Are you okay?” The man sat up, his brows furrowing.

Chanyeol looked up from where he had been lifting his sleeve to show the burn mark on his wrist and was surprised to see that the stranger had actually been listening to him rave on and on and was now peering at his wrist with concern.

“Yes, it’s okay now. It doesn’t hurt as much.”

“Here, let me see.” The man stretched his hand out.

Chanyeol looked at him in surprise but gingerly placed his hand over his, palm up. The burn wasn’t even that big and Chanyeol couldn’t see why the man had to run his fingers softly over it over and over again. He wasn’t complaining though.

Instead, Chanyeol found himself studying the man. His eyes were a bit swollen and red-rimmed from the crying but they were attractive still. Attractive and familiar.

Before Chanyeol could peer closer, the man had already pulled back.

“What’s the verdict, doc?” Chanyeol teased, sitting back in his chair.

“I think you’ll survive.” This time, the man smiled more genuinely and a dimple appears across his cheek

Chanyeol rolled down his sleeve as he chuckled.

“That’s good. I’d hate to close down the shop just for a burn.”

“We wouldn’t want that,” the man chuckled.

Chanyeol was starting to feel warmer despite the chilly night air. And he wasn’t sure if it was because of the coffee he was drinking or the man sitting in front of him who seemed to look handsomer by the minute.

“Do you own this place?”

The question caught Chanyeol off guard.

“Isn’t it obvious?” Chanyeol smile cheekily.

“No – uh – you just look a bit too young to be running a café. I mean, you look like you’re supposed to be in college.”

“I  _ am  _ supposed to be in college but I find this atmosphere,” he glanced around the room and smiled, “much more to my liking. I’ve never been one for books and lessons anyway.”

“And your parents were okay with you dropping out of school?”

Another question that caught Chanyeol off guard.

“They were against me dropping out at first but I got through to them in the end. They actually don’t care much, as long as I’m happy. See, I was a music major before I dropped out. Before all this all I wanted to do was music.”

The man’s eyebrows furrowed at that.

“What made you not like music anymore?”

Chanyeol shook his head and laughed before pointing to the stage behind the man.

“See that over there? That’s where I play now. I love music as much as I did before, that hasn’t changed just because I left college. Before this, my dream was to let people hear my music and make them fall in love with it. And that’s exactly what I do, every Friday. It may be a small crowd but it’s a crowd nonetheless.”

The stranger was looking at him intently as if completely immersed with his story and Chanyeol tried really hard not to blush under his gaze. His eyes were less red now and his face less bloated and nothing could stop Chanyeol from noticing just how incredibly attractive the man looked.

Maybe Chanyeol had just a bit too much coffee.

He let out a cough and then an awkward laugh.

“Well, you practically know my life story now. What’s yours?” Chanyeol said, leaning back in his chair comfortably and crossing his arms over his chest, ready to listen.

The stranger only gave him that half-smile again and stood up to leave.

“How about settling for my name instead? It’s getting late and I assume you have to wake up early to open the shop again tomorrow.” He said, looking down at Chanyeol who had sat up straight once more.

“I tell you about myself and when it’s your turn to talk, you want to up and run away.”

He smiled apologetically and Chanyeol sighed in defeat.

As much as he wanted the man to stay and talk, much to Chanyeol’s surprise, it  _ was  _ getting late and though the young man could probably take care of himself, Chanyeol was worried about sending him off any later.

“Why do I feel like I’m being ditched?” Chanyeol chuckled, shaking his head and standing up to walk the man out the door.

“Don’t worry, I’ll come back  _ and then _ I’ll tell you my story.”

“It better be a hell of a good story if you’re going to make me wait this long.”

Chanyeol stood there, holding the door open as he fixed his coat and pulled his hood over his head.

“You better not come back crying -,” Chanyeol paused, waiting for the man to fill in the blank.

“Yixing,” the man smiled brightly, making his dimple show once again. “My name is Yixing.”

“Yixing,” Chanyeol said, letting the foreign name roll on his tongue. “Pretty name.”

This time Chanyeol could swear Yixing blushed, red spreading evenly across is white cheeks.

“Well, I hope you come by again soon, Yixing. Preferably without tears streaming down your face,” Chanyeol teased, hoping to make him blush again.

Yixing merely bit his lip and nodded, breathing out a small laugh.

“Don’t worry, I won’t,  _ Chanyeol _ .”

And without looking back, he walked out into the night. Chanyeol watched him walk away until he could no longer see him, swallowed by the lights of passing cars and the city around them, all while trying to remember when  _ he  _ had told the man his name.

 

“All I’m asking, Yeol, is that if you had met this stranger at the bar and not here, would you or would you have not taken said stranger home,” Baekhyun said the next morning as they stood side by side, preparing two different drinks at the same time.

“I don’t understand how you can still manage to be this noisy in the morning with a hangover,” Chanyeol mused as he turned around and walked over to the other side of the counter to hand the nice-looking lady her drink.

“Iced Americano?” Chanyeol asked; just to make sure.

She nodded and Chanyeol handed the drink over with a straw and some tissues, smiling all the while.

He’s been told many times that his smile was very contagious which explained why the girl smiled back, despite looking like she didn’t smile much at strangers.

She nodded once again as a thank you before walking over to the exit.

“I don’t understand why you can’t just answer a simple question,” Baekhyun muttered as Chanyeol passed him by.

Chanyeol merely rolled his eyes.

It was Baekhyun and Jongdae’s shift today, the others off somewhere, doing God knows what.

But tonight they’d all gather here, like always.

It was Open Mic Night and none of them would pass up an opportunity to support  _ and embarrass _ each other on stage.

“I think the better question is, Baekhyun,” Jongdae suddenly piped up, walking out of the kitchen with freshly baked bread, “whether he’d take  _ that _ stranger home or that hottie of a customer that walked in yesterday.”

Yixing or Lay.

He stood there, wiping his hands over and over on a washcloth as he found himself wondering if Yixing would come over again tonight. He didn’t know why he found the man so interesting, wondering whether he would stay true to his word and come over some time and tell him his story or he’d just stay away forever.

“Speak of the devil and he shall appear,” Chanyeol heard Baekhyun snicker.

Then the sound of the glass door opening registered in his brain. Then the sound of wind chimes. Then Baekhyun’s words suddenly set in.

Chanyeol whirled around.

And saw Yixing standing there, smiling at him like he knew a secret Chanyeol didn’t.

“Yi - Yixing?” Chanyeol stuttered.

He sounded stupid, he knew, but he just looked so – different.

It was Yixing but – it wasn’t Yixing. Yesterday he had looked like he had just been recently hit by a truck but now he wore a sharp suit, his hair was up, his eyes looked clearer and the smirk on his face just confused the heck out of Chanyeol.

But he had no doubt it  _ was _ Yixing. Chanyeol had spent too much time staring at him last night to be mistaken.

“I thought his name was Lay,” Baekhyun whispered somewhere behind him before grunting in pain. Chanyeol could just imagine Jongdae kicking Baekhyun to shut him up.

Yixing walked over to the register where Chanyeol stood gaping at him.

Even the aura around him felt different. More confident. More sure of himself.

“One Caramel Macchiato, please,” Yixing smiled sheepishly at him.

Chanyeol stopped staring and began to move, almost automatically; grabbing a pen and plastic cup. He hadn’t expected to see him again so quickly.

As he was about to write the name on the cup, he looked up at Yixing and gave him a pointed look.

“Are you going to give me your real name this time, Yixing? Or is it Lay?” Chanyeol teased him, hoping that his curiosity didn’t sound too obvious.

“People like to call me Lay, but my friends call me Yixing. That’s my real name. I’m sorry for not clarifying last night but you seemed like you hadn’t even noticed so I didn’t bother,” Yixing shrugged and smiled only a little bit apologetically. He leaned forward on his arms on the counter and Chanyeol wasn’t sure he wanted to push him off or pull him closer.

“So I’m your friend now?” Chanyeol raised his eyebrows at him before writing ‘Yixing’ on the cup.

Yixing saw this and smiled as if he was pleased before looking at Chanyeol dead in the eye and smiling shyly, like he had smiled last night.

“If you want to be.”

“I can’t believe they’re actually flirting,” Baekhyun whispered to Jongdae probably before bursting into giggles.

Chanyeol’s cheeks flared and he was pretty sure that his ears were red too as he whirled around to glare at the pair only to see Jongdae dragging Baekhyun back into the kitchen, sighing in exasperation and giving Chanyeol an apologetic look before shutting the door to the kitchen, leaving him and Yixing – Lay – whatever – alone together.

Well, there were customers sitting silently at tables but still.

Yixing, to Chanyeol’s surprise, chuckled.

“Your friends are cute,” he said, clearly amused by the situation which only made Chanyeol flush even more.

Instead of turning back to look at Yixing, he decided to just go about his work and started preparing his drink. Yixing tried to keep up conversation with him though, asking him weird questions like if he added more milk to his drink would it taste better or worse or how did he never manage to not spill anything with his big hands.

Chanyeol would laugh and answer his questions curtly. Honestly, he found Yixing’s curiosity very endearing and cute.

“Anything else?” Chanyeol asked as he handed Yixing his drink.

Yixing studied it silently. A small, suppressed smile graced his features before he handed the cup back to Chanyeol.

Chanyeol took it, confused.

“Yeah, could you write your number on the cup?”

Chanyeol almost dropped it in shock.

“What?” He choked out.

“Your number, could you write it down on the cup?” Yixing was blushing a bit now, seeing Chanyeol so flustered. “I mean, you  _ did _ say anything.”

“Uh – yeah – I guess I did,” Chanyeol muttered, grabbing the pen once again and uncapped it with his teeth. He thanked God that another customer hadn’t come in; he was probably so red it was embarrassing.

He gave it back to Yixing after writing his number and chuckled, shaking his head.

“You know what? That was pretty smooth, I’m impressed,” Chanyeol smirked. “When am I going to hear this story of yours?”

“Tonight, are you free? I promise not to come in crying again.”

Chanyeol shook his head.

“I can’t tonight. It’s Open Mic night; a few pals and I have a tradition of embarrassing ourselves on stage. You’re free to come over and watch me perform,” Chanyeol winked. “I can’t guarantee you’ll fall in love with just my music though.”

Yixing laughed, unfazed. “What, I might fall in love with the coffee, too?”

Chanyeol was about to say something back but then a customer arrived and his attention had to be diverted.

Seeing the customer and understanding the situation, Yixing began walking away, much to Chanyeol’s dismay.

Probably hearing the wind chimes, Jongdae and Baekhyun finally emerged from the back and approached.

“I’ll think about tonight,” Yixing called, raising his drink in farewell before turning around and walking out the door, smiling at the passing girl and making her blush.

Chanyeol rolled his eyes in amusement before turning his attention back to the pair of girls looking up at the written menu above him, patiently waiting with a small smile on his face and trying hard not to look to happy about the exchange he just had.

Baekhyun crept closer and stood beside him.

Chanyeol glanced at him through the corner of his eye. Baekhyun looked like he was about to burst with excitement.

“So,” he began, mischief evident in his tone. “Tonight, huh?”

“Shut up.”

‘Tonight’ arrived pretty quickly and in no time he and his friends were setting up the stage and lights while people filed in and found comfortable places for them to settle into

Minseok and Jongdae were behind the counter and were holding up pretty well despite the onslaught of people arriving, having heard that Kyungsoo might sing tonight. Honestly, Kyungsoo sang almost every Open Mic night but Chanyeol could understand their enthusiasm.

Once Kyungsoo got famous, and Chanyeol had no doubt he would, people were going to have to lineup and pay just to hear his voice. Same with Baekhyun and Jongdae.

Maybe before – before Chanyeol had found his way to this café – Chanyeol had similar dreams but for now –

He looked around, smiling softly.

He was content.

“Looking for someone?” Baekhyun teased from behind him.

“No,” Chanyeol rolled his eyes, turning back to what he was doing and ignoring Baekhyun’s snicker.

It was true, he hadn’t thought of Yixing at all in the past few hours but now that someone mentioned him, Chanyeol couldn’t stop himself from wondering whether or not he would stop by to listen.

Chanyeol hoped he did.

Wait, no, Chanyeol hoped he didn’t.

Chanyeol sighed, shaking his head to shake off the thoughts of someone he barely knew. So what if that someone had the most beautiful smile he had ever seen.

So what if that someone had an adorable dimple on his cheek that Chanyeol couldn’t help but stare at last night and this morning.

Yeah, he seriously hoped Yixing wouldn’t arrive.

Chanyeol probably wouldn’t be able to handle seeing  _ that _ smile while playing on stage.

To say that  _ Trouvaille  _ was full would be an understatement.

Some people had resorted to sitting on the arms of armchairs or the laps of their friends. Some even just stood at the corners, arms around themselves.

The lights were dimmed and Baekhyun sat at the piano, the spotlight trained on him.

Everyone held their breaths in anticipation. Chanyeol lingered behind the counter – just in case someone arrived – while his friends sat on barstools around the counter, turning at the waist to look at their friend about to perform, identical grins on their faces.

Baekhyun grinned back and Chanyeol could’ve sworn that some of the girls swooned at the sight.

Then he began singing, letting his fingers dance across the keys and capturing the hearts of his audience like he always did.

When he finished, the crowd erupted into cheers and applause while Jongdae hollered loudly from his seat, making Sehun beside him roll his eyes in amusement and push him off the stool.

Jongdae stumbled forward before catching himself, turning around and giving Sehun the finger.

“When do we go on?” Kyungsoo whispered to him as the next performer began setting up his guitar, strumming it now and then to check the sound, earning him sounds of encouragement from the crowd as he smiled sheepishly, looking a bit nervous.

“Save the best for last,” Chanyeol whispered back, eyeing his guitar that he had propped up against the wall by the kitchen door.

He had rushed and grabbed it from his room upstairs when Kyungsoo had suggested that they do a duet together instead of performing solo as they had originally planned.

“What do you want to sing?”Chanyeol had asked once he had gotten his guitar.

“What would impress that boy coming over the most?”

Chanyeol had stared at Kyungsoo in shock.

“How -”

“Jongdae told me.”

Chanyeol shook his head in disbelief but the corners of his mouth twitched.

“Of course he did.”

Choosing a song to sing wasn’t as difficult as Chanyeol thought it would be and they had quickly decided on a set to play, completely ignoring Baekhyun’s suggestion of a song far too sexual for an acoustic session.

And so 3 aspiring artists and Jongdae’s cute set later, Kyungsoo and Chanyeol moved to set-up onstage, Chanyeol leaving the counter to be managed by Minseok (who was completely smitten by Jongdae’s performance, by the way).

“Is he here yet?” Kyungsoo whispered to Chanyeol as he settled himself on a stool and adjusted the mic to his height.

Chanyeol rolled his eyes as he strummed his guitar twice and adjusted the volume to his liking. It seemed his friends were much more worried about Yixing arriving than he was but he couldn’t deny the fact that his eyes searched the crowd at the question.

He was both disappointed and relieved that his ‘friend’ was nowhere to be found.

“No,” he whispered back to Kyungsoo, settling himself on a stool beside Kyungsoo’s.

Chanyeol relished in the sound of cheers from his overly enthusiastic friends and kind customers and let himself be blinded by the spotlight only for a second, breathing it all in.

And failing to notice when someone walked in with a mask covering his already growing smile at the sight of Chanyeol so happy to be onstage.

And so Chanyeol started playing his guitar, completely unaware that Yixing watched him from the far back, mesmerized and entranced.

Chanyeol’s phone buzzed on the bed as he pulled his sweats on after taking a shower.

Drying his hair with a towel, he plopped down on his bed and reached for it, unlocking it without a second thought.

It was a text from an unknown number.

“ _ Maybe the next time I come over, you could play me the song you sang tonight. I’m sorry I couldn’t stay and talk but the coffee definitely wasn’t the only thing appealing ;) - YX _ ”

Chanyeol stared at his phone, not quite believing the message.

Yixing had seen him play and sing.

Yixing had found him appealing.

Chanyeol snorted at the thought. Out of all of Yixing’s attempts to flirt with him, this might’ve have been the corniest of them all.

He noticed the small winking emoji and rolled his eyes – before falling back on the bed, his arm over his burning face as an image of Yixing winking at him entered his mind.

He bit his lip, trying really hard to suppress his growing grin.

“ _ Aish! _ ” Chanyeol ruffled his hair and buried his face in the pillows, trying and failing not to fall asleep with a smile on his face.

 

A few days had passed since the text, Chanyeol still hadn’t replied and Yixing hadn’t texted nor showed his face at the café again and it was pretty safe to say that Chanyeol was losing his mind.

“Would you just go and text him, hyung,” Jongin said, rolling his eyes as he bent down to pick up the marker Chanyeol had dropped for the third time in the last 10 minutes. “I don’t think playing hard to get is going to help the situation.”

Chanyeol looked at Jongin, affronted.

“I am  _ not _ playing hard to get.”

Jongin gave Chanyeol a pointed look and shook his head.

“This guy’s clearly waiting for you to make the next move, Chanyeol-hyung. He already went and watched you perform  _ and  _ dropped you a text, what have you done in return?” Jongin insisted.

“I’ve made him coffee,” Chanyeol muttered, looking away.

To be perfectly honest, Chanyeol had no idea what to do next. He was perfectly content with just waiting for Yixing to come by again on his own time.

Or so he tried to convince himself.

“You’ve made everyone coffee,” Jongin pointed out flatly.

“I won’t be making  _ you  _ coffee anytime soon,” he retorted.

“Since when have you been the one to give relationship advice, Jongin?” Sehun scoffed as he approached the counter after delivering a drink to its customer, a tray under his arm.

“Since Chanyeol-hyung finally needed it after years of not dating.”

Chanyeol winced.

It _ had _ been a long time since he dated anyone new. He just hadn’t found the appeal of dating after his last boyfriend had left him for no reason – without warning. Besides, with the group of friends he has, he doubted he was missing out on anything.

“How long has it been since you’ve gotten laid, hyung?” Sehun suddenly asked, exchanging mischievous looks with Jongin.

Chanyeol grumbled, blushing, before turning away to busy himself with other stuff.

The two younger boys laughed and nudged Chanyeol, trying to apologize.

“I know what’ll get your mind off of this  _ mystery man _ ,” Sehun grinned as Chanyeol sighed in exasperation.

“ _ What?  _ And don’t you dare suggest a gay bar, Sehun. I swear -”

“I’m not sure Junmyeon-hyung would appreciate you calling his bar a  _ gay bar _ , hyung,” Sehun chuckled, leaning forward on the counter.

Chanyeol raised his eyebrows in mild surprise. It actually wasn’t a bad idea to go visit their friend’s bar tonight. It had been a long time since Chanyeol went out to enjoy himself and have a drink. When he was still in college, he and his friends would usually go out to drink every weekend, going to every party they could find.

They weren’t irresponsible or anything, they just really, really, genuinely liked having fun.

But he had to wake up early tomorrow to open shop and if he was going out to drink tonight then he’d have to close early and might risk missing Yixing, if he ever deigned to visit again.

Chanyeol pursed his lips, weighing decisions in his mind.

“Come on, Chanyeol. You could find someone handsomer at the bar,” Jongin said, wiggling his eyebrows and elbowing Chanyeol.

He very much doubted it.

In the end, his friends managed to convince him to close the shop earlier so that he could have fun without the worry of getting home too late.

“Come on, Chanyeol. It’s a Sunday,” Baekhyun had said after learning that Jongin and Sehun had suggested they all go together for a night out. “I don’t think anyone’s going to come over to have a  _ frappe  _ any time past 8.”

“You deserve even just the shortest of breaks, Chanyeol.”

“It’s just one drink Chanyeol.”

They had bombarded him with pleas and pouts until he was finally forced to agree, throwing his hands in the air in defeat.

Now his friends walked on ahead as he turned to lock the door, checking and double-checking that he had left no windows or lights open. He tried not to worry about getting a hang-over and swore to himself to only drink a maximum of 3 drinks tonight.

Just three.

“Closing early?”

Chanyeol leaped in surprise with a yelp at the sound of the sudden voice. He whipped around to see Yixing standing there, a little taken aback (probably because he had just yelped like a kicked dog).

And once again, Chanyeol is given a peek at the caring side of Yixing when his face contorts into concern.

“Are you okay? I didn’t mean to scare you,” Yixing said, worry lacing his tone.

Chanyeol rubbed his chest with the heel of his palm, trying to calm his beating heart. He wasn’t sure if his heart was racing because of the unexpected interruption or because Yixing was actually standing in front of him – after days of not seeing each other.

Chanyeol forced himself to believe it was the former.

“It’s alright,” Chanyeol let a little laugh out. “You just surprised me, that’s all.”

Yixing smiled a bit in return before looking at something behind him, making Chanyeol look as well.

Six silhouettes stood together underneath the light of a streetlamp, two were waving at them wildly, gesturing for him to hurry up. Baekhyun and Jongdae most likely.

Chanyeol smiled despite himself, turning back to Yixing who had thrust his hands in his pockets and stood there silently, a thoughtful look on his face.

“Boy’s Night Out?” He asked a bit teasingly.

“Yeah. Just for a few hours though. I can’t get myself  _ too  _ hammered.”

“We wouldn’t want our barista serving us coffees with a hang-over.” Yixing chuckled.

“No, we wouldn’t want that,” Chanyeol joked back, a familiar feeling of warmth spreading across his cheeks.

For a few awkward seconds they stood there, looking at everything except each other, dancing on their toes because of the cold, neither really wanting to leave the other alone yet. It reminded Chanyeol of the first night they had spoken – the awkwardness between them had been evident, as it was now and Chanyeol found himself wanting to get rid of that awkwardness.

What better way to break the walls between them than to have a few drinks together?

“Chanyeol, hurry that cute ass up! We haven’t got all night!” Baekhyun shouted from down the street.

Chanyeol rolled his eyes but shouted back.

“Wait a sec!”

“You should hurry up,” Yixing said, an amused look on his face. “I’m not sure the noisy one can wait any longer.”

“He goes to the bar almost every night, I dunno what he’s so excited about,” Chanyeol muttered to himself before giving Yixing a half-smile.

“Would you care to join us?” Chanyeol cocked his head to the side in question. “I know it’s not a coffee date or anything but it’s better than being alone.”

It hadn’t escaped Chanyeol’s notice, Yixing looked absolutely wrecked tonight as well and he looked like he really didn’t want to be left alone tonight.

Yixing pursed his lips and Chanyeol worried he might turn down the offer but was pleasantly surprised when Yixing nodded slowly, giving Chanyeol a tight-lipped smile.

“But aren’t you afraid I’ll start crying in the club?” Yixing smirked, though the smile didn’t reach his eyes as he recalled their past conversation.

“I’ll take my chances,” Chanyeol chuckled, gesturing for him to follow as he began walking toward his friends, watching subtly if Yixing followed.

He did.

Baekhyun, Jongdae and Minseok looked like they were trying really hard not to squeal as Chanyeol approached, Yixing close behind him.

Chanyeol gave the three a look that warned them against it.

“Is it alright if Yixing tagged along with us tonight? I didn’t know he was coming over and it would be pretty rude to just leave him there in the cold.”

Yixing bowed at the waist and gave Chanyeol’s friends a sheepish grin.

“I hope I’m not intruding,” he said after straightening once more, giving Chanyeol a sidelong look for reassurance.

Chanyeol smiled at him warmly and clapped his back.

“Of course not,” Baekhyun grinned. “Any friend of Chanyeol’s is a friend of ours.”

The others quickly introduced themselves, giving Yixing a rather warm welcome into their small group. Chanyeol was pleased to see that Yixing wasn’t as uncomfortable as he thought he would be, instead he looked liked he seemed to be enjoying himself, a shy smile on his face.

Their eyes met and Chanyeol winked, urging a chuckle out of Yixing.

“Alright, let’s talk more at the club, you’re overwhelming him,” Chanyeol began herding them in the direction of their parked cars.

“Don’t worry, Chanyeol, we’re not trying to steal him from you,” Minseok winked before opening the door to Kyungsoo’s car and sliding inside.

“Yeah, hyung, you don’t have to be so jealous, y’know,” Sehun smirked at Chanyeol, claiming the passenger seat in Jongin’s car.

“Don’t be so jealous, Chanyeol,” Kyungsoo murmured as he walked by, a mischievous smile on his face.

All of them laughed as they got in their respective cars causing Chanyeol to redden and grumble as he led Yixing over to Jongin’s car, both of them sliding into the backseat.

“I’m really sorry if they’re too much to handle,” Chanyeol quickly apologized to Yixing as Jongin started the engine and began driving, earning him a snort from both boys in front.

Yixing laughed good-naturedly, waving it all off.

“I’m kinda used to company like this, you don’t have to worry. My friends are quite the noisy bunch as well,” Yixing smiled.

Chanyeol was always told that he was the one that had the contagious smile but seeing Yixing there, soft and sweet in the night, smiling to himself, Chanyeol couldn’t help but smile as well.

“Man, he’s so whipped,” Sehun whispered to Jongin after catching Chanyeol smiling through the rearview mirror.

Jongin laughed.

They all squeezed themselves in one booth and Chanyeol,  _ conveniently,  _ was squished shoulder-to-shoulder, thigh-to-thigh next to Yixing, his friends exchanging knowing smirks as they slid to their seats. Yixing sat between him and a wall, looking rather unbothered by the whole thing and Chanyeol cursed himself for being so flustered.

He averted his attention from their touching bodies to his surroundings. The booming beat of the music was so at odds with  _ Trouvaille _ ’s soft jazz background that Chanyeol had to take a second to sink back into this type of music.

There were a lot of people dancing and swaying down on the dance floor, feeling the beat course through their bodies and going along with it. The amount of bodies pressed against each other made Chanyeol suddenly very conscious of Yixing and his pressed bodies.

Yixing, despite the rather serious expression on his face, bopped his head and bounced his leg up and down to the rhythm.

“I’m going over to the bar to get us a drink,” Jongin asked, half-shouting over the music to be heard. “Anyone want anything specific?”

Everyone, including Yixing, shook their head and told him to just go ahead and get whatever he felt like drinking.

Jongin shrugged and stood up, pulling Kyungsoo with him to the bar.

Baekhyun and the others immediately start placing bets on who would drink the most, shouting over the music to hear each other, even if they really didn’t need to shout that loud.

Chanyeol glanced over at Yixing and made a face, expressing what he thought of his friends’ current conversation. Yixing laughed and shook his head.

“You know what would be a better thing to make bets on?” Yixing mused.

Chanyeol raised his eyebrows in question, his interest piqued. “Do tell.”

Yixing jerked his chin in the direction where Jongin and Kyungsoo had disappeared to, over to the bar. Jongin could be seen making small conversation with their friend, Junmyeon as another bartender tended to their drinks, being closely watched by Kyungsoo.

“ – Which of the people around that bar would approach your handsome friend over there first and ask him to take them to bed.”

Chanyeol choked on a laugh at the sudden  _ and _ weird suggestion but found himself watching the bar and considering the question seriously before pointing out a girl who was nervously watching Jongin and straightening her dress, trying to look confident.

“That one, the girl in the red dress,” Chanyeol said.

“The boy in the blue suit,” Yixing merely replied.

And to Chanyeol’s utter surprise, within minutes, the boy in the blue suit  _ did _ approach Jongin first and judging by the smirk and slight flush in Jongin’s expression when the man had caught his attention, it was pretty safe to say that the man had started flirting.

Chanyeol fully turned to Yixing now, amazement shining in his eyes.

“And how did you manage to guess  _ that _ ?” Chanyeol demanded, utterly and completely impressed.

“Talent,” Yixing smirked and Chanyeol rolled his eyes.

“You know, the first time I spoke to you, I had no idea you’d be this – ,” Chanyeol mused.

_ Sexy. _

_ Interesting. _

_ Cute. _

“Playful,” Chanyeol finished, flushing underneath Yixing’s challenging gaze.

Yixing’s eyebrows rose in surprise before he burst out laughing, making everyone at the table look over to them in interest.

“You might be even worse at flirting than I am,” Yixing said, shaking his head.

Chanyeol reddened as he pouted and looked away.

“Why? What did he say?” Baekhyun leaned forward, almost laying himself across the table. “Chanyeol never was one to flirt blatantly.”

“Don’t even ask,” Chanyeol glared.

A couple of drinks in and Chanyeol decided to stop, already feeling a bit buzzed. He had promised to himself and the others that he wouldn’t get drunk.

Only he and Kyungsoo, the other designated driver, were the ones left sitting at the table, the others already drunk and dancing on the dance floor.

And it’s already been half an hour but Chanyeol still couldn’t help but stare at the way Yixing could sway his hips. For all the shy glances and cute smiles Yixing had been giving Chanyeol all night as they sat side by side, Chanyeol would’ve never imagined that he could move that sinfully.

Chanyeol groaned and rolled his neck, trying to get his thoughts somewhere else.

“You can go out there and dance, y’know. I’m fine here by myself,” Kyungsoo suddenly said before downing a glass of water.

Chanyeol laughed. “No, thank you. I’m not drunk enough yet.”

“You sure about that?” Kyungsoo raised an eyebrow and nodding his head in the direction of Yixing who was now grinding against a very drunk, very giggly Baekhyun.

Chanyeol almost choked at the sight. Baekhyun had his back pressed against Yixing’s chest, his arms reaching back and resting on Yixing’s shoulders.

“Dammit,” Chanyeol muttered, downing a shot and slamming it back down with all the other empty shot glasses and bottles before standing up.

Kyungsoo chuckled and patted Chanyeol’s butt playfully as he walked past him.

“Go get him, tiger,” Kyungsoo said amusedly, leaning back comfortably on the cushions.

Chanyeol looked back at him.

“Are you sure you don’t want to go dance?” Chanyeol asked. Kyungsoo merely snorted and waved him away.

Chanyeol, now with new found confidence – probably because of the drink he had just drank in one go –strode toward Yixing with his hands in his pockets, smirking as Yixing noticed him approaching. He might have imagined it, a trick of the light or something but Chanyeol could’ve sworn Yixing’s gaze darkened.

Baekhyun, also noticing Chanyeol watching them, separated himself from Yixing with a laugh.

“I knew that would get you off your ass,” he whispered as he passed him by. “He’s all yours.”

Yixing bit his lip as Chanyeol put his hands lightly on Yixing’s waist, filling the spot Baekhyun had left, to seduce Chanyeol or not he didn’t know but he was doing a really good job of  teasing him.

“I didn’t know you could dance like that,” Chanyeol said, his voice low and strained.

Yixing had stripped his jacket a while ago, leaving him in a muscle tank that showed off his well-toned arms that Chanyeol couldn’t help but admire.

“And how do I dance, Chanyeol?” Yixing slurred, starting to move those hips of his again.

Chanyeol answer got stuck in his throat as Yixing turned around and leaned against Chanyeol’s chest just as Baekhyun had done to Yixing just moments ago.

Chanyeol was a hundred percent sure he wasn’t drunk but he was plenty sure that he might just get drunk on the feeling of Yixing against him, soft in places and hard in others. For a few minutes they just danced and some sober part of Chanyeol really admired how Yixing danced, not just the swaying and the grinding but there was something about the way he moved that made him think that maybe Yixing was a dancer.

“I’m surprised you still remember my name,” Chanyeol chuckled, trying to hide the fact that he was panting, swaying his hips against Yixing’s ass and trying his best not to groan. He had been thinking of doing this the whole night.

“How could I forget the name of someone I barely know,” Yixing joked, as he draped himself over Chanyeol, making Chanyeol blush really red when he turned and brought their faces close.

“Are you usually this straightforward with people you barely know?”

Yixing hummed. “Only with handsome, tall boys that can’t seem to take their hands off of me.”

Chanyeol’s grip on Yixing’s hips tightened.

“That’s good,” Chanyeol breathed out, glancing between Yixing’s piercing gaze and his lips.

Yixing, unfortunately, noticed and wiggled away with a laugh, breaking the hot and heavy air between them. It felt as Chanyeol could breathe again, blinking  and breathing away the intoxication that was Yixing.

“Not so fast, smooth-talker,” Yixing said, now a foot away. “Show me  _ your _ skills first.”

“Skills?” Jongin scoffed, appearing out of nowhere. “Chanyeol couldn’t dance to save his life.”

And so the night continued on with the others approaching and challenging each other to dance battles that did nothing but embarrass them all. It was clear to all of them that the best dancers there were Yixing and Jongin, though Baekhyun could move his hips most impressively, to everyone’s surprise and delight.

They stumbled back to their booth, ordering another round of drinks Chanyeol was quick to deny. He really shouldn’t drink anymore than he already had, opting instead to watch his friends get hammered, his gaze now and then sliding towards Yixing who looked to be having the time of his life, giggling and leaning against Chanyeol.

Chanyeol groaned as he settled himself down on the driver’s seat, his body aching after carrying Baekhyun to the car and leading a stumbling Yixing with him.

Jongin had tossed Chanyeol his keys before sleepily sliding into Kyungsoo’s car saying that he wanted to sleep over at their old apartment tonight and that Chanyeol should drive Yixing home. As they piled into the cars though, Kyungsoo had handed a passed-out Baekhyun over to Chanyeol.

“He said he wanted to stay over at your place tonight,” Kyungsoo had said but Chanyeol suspected it was because Kyungsoo didn’t want to handle a hung-over Baekhyun the next morning – not if Sehun, Minseok and Jongin were already coming over.

Chanyeol waved goodbye as Kyungsoo began reversing out of the parking spot, Jongdae blowing kisses through the open window, the others already passed out beside him.

As Chanyeol was buckling his seatbelt on he realized with a jolt that he had no idea where Yixing lived.

He glanced over to the man sleeping beside him and sighed.

Yixing had fallen asleep on the passenger’s seat, his chin resting on his chest and Baekhyun was quietly snoring at the back, both were probably going to have the hang-over of their lives after the amount of alcohol they had drank.

Chanyeol sighed again, shaking his head before unbuckling his own seatbelt to lean over Yixing and grab his seatbelt and buckle it for him. Chanyeol looked once more behind him to make sure Baekhyun wouldn’t fall off of his seat once he began driving before turning back to the front and starting the engine.

15 minutes later, Chanyeol was hauling two stumbling, drunk men up the stairs and into his small apartment, kicking the door closed behind them and locking it.

Baekhyun had passed out on the couch within seconds, kicking his shoes off and mumbling into one of the pillows.

That left Yixing to sleep beside Chanyeol on the bed. He wasn’t sure how to feel about that as he herded Yixing toward the kitchen, their bare feet padding silently across the floors.

“Do you want some water?” Chanyeol asked Yixing who was leaning against Chanyeol’s kitchen counter, blinking sleepily. He nodded silently and Chanyeol went to fill a cup.

“Is it alright with you to stay here for the night?”

Again, a silent nod.

If Chanyeol wasn’t so tired he’d find Yixing’s sleepiness incredibly cute.

“Come on,” Chanyeol said, nodding his head in the direction of his room after Yixing had finished his glass of water.

With his hand resting against Yixing’s back, he led him through the hall and into his bedroom. The touch was soft and light, comforting compared to the touches they had exchanged as they had danced underneath all thoSse lights.

“We’re going to have to share a bed, if that’s alright with you,” Chanyeol said before turning around and stripping his jacket, hanging it on one of the hooks behind the door.

Chanyeol helped Yixing take off his own jacket before leaving him to stumble toward the bed.

Chanyeol turned back around and hung Yixing’s jacket beside his, liking the way they looked side by side.

The bed creaked as Yixing climbed unto it without a second thought, pulling the covers over his body and closing his eyes; comfortable even in someone else’s bed.

Considering how Yixing had acted tonight, Chanyeol wondered if climbing into someone else’s bed was something normal for him.

He watched him for a second more, admiring his face under the sliver of moonlight that peeked through the windows before shaking his head and heading towards the bathroom to wash his face and brush his teeth before bed.

Yixing was still in the same position, still blissfully asleep, as Chanyeol exited the bathroom, having finished cleaning up.

Chanyeol checked his phone before climbing into bed. It was 1am, early by their usual standards. They would usually still be at a party till 3 when Chanyeol was still in college.

Relieved that he still had a lot of hours to rest and sleep before having to open the café again, Chanyeol put his phone down on the table by his bed and slid down under the covers.

The bed was big enough that Chanyeol and Yixing weren’t touching even as Chanyeol relaxed himself unto the bed. For a few minutes, Chanyeol lay there, facing Yixing, someone he barely knew, and he felt a strange calm and comfort settle inside him.

This.

Chanyeol hadn’t realized that he had needed something like this – someone to sleep beside him and not just someone who would  _ sleep _ with him.

And as Chanyeol felt himself falling asleep as he stared at Yixing’s sleeping face, he hadn’t noticed that somewhere in Chanyeol’s heart, he decided that he wouldn’t mind sleeping and waking up to someone like Yixing beside him.

 

Someone had pulled open the curtains.

This was the first thing that went through Chanyeol’s mind as he woke up. The sunlight was streaming through his windows, shining over his face warmly as he blinked himself awake.

He blindly reached for his phone on the table and glanced at it for the time and was quite relieved to see that it was still early and that he still had at least an hour to prepare before he had to go down and open the café.

He put his phone back down and rolled over, closing his eyes once more.

He opened his eyes as he realized there was no one beside him. The sheets had been thrown to the side and there was no Yixing to be seen.

Chanyeol sat up so fast he had to close his eyes against the light-headedness. Shaking it off, he glanced around the room. The curtains had been, indeed, pulled back, the windows open to let the soft morning breeze in. The bathroom door was open, revealing no one inside but Chanyeol could distinctly remember that he had closed it before going to bed.

Chanyeol’s gaze went to Yixing’s jacket still hanging on one of the hooks on his closed door.

_ Was he still here? _

He threw the sheets off himself, sliding his feet into the slippers he had left beneath his bed before throwing open his door and walking out into the hallway.

Someone was in the kitchen was moving around in the kitchen.

Chanyeol rolled his eyes as he passed by Baekhyun still passed out on the couch, snoring and making small noises. He turned around to see Yixing standing in the kitchen, hunched over the sink.

He wasn’t sure why he was so relieved to see Yixing still there.

It took Chanyeol a few seconds to realize that Yixing was rubbing at his eyes because he was crying.

He rushed to his side, panicking immediately.

“Are you okay?” Chanyeol asked, hunching over as well and peeking at Yixing’s face. It was red and contorted in pain, tears streaming down his cheeks “Did something happen? Are you hurt?”

Yixing just kept shaking his head, turning away, unable to speak.

Chanyeol looked Yixing over, looking for any sign of a wound. His arms were bare but held no indications of a burn or a wound.

Chanyeol’s heart sank as he thought the worst.

_ Maybe he thinks something happened between us last night and was regretting it. _

“Nothing happened, Yixing. You don’t have to worry,” Chanyeol said, trying to comfort him. “I’m sorry if you were uncomfortable. We just slept together,”

Yixing turned to him, brows raised, tears steadily running down his cheeks.

Chanyeol sputtered and began waving his arms all over the place, trying to explain.

“Not like sleep together _ – sleep together _ – but like just regular sleeping. Like just on the bed, no touching  _ at all _ . I would never do that, I swear. You were drunk off your ass and I just – “  Chanyeol stopped talking when Yixing glanced over to him, his eyes red and straining.

Yixing started fanning at his eyes with his hands, which Chanyeol found really weird and yet endearing. Chanyeol noticed that his face was a little less red now and that he seemed to be calming down.

“What are you talking about? It’s just – “ Yixing muttered. “ _ Those damn onions _ .”

“I know, I’m sorry, I – “ Chanyeol paused, staring at Yixing as if he had grown a second head. Yixing looked at him, eyes narrowed in both confusion and pain.

“What?” Chanyeol blurted. “ _ Onions? _ ”

“Yeah,” Yixing muttered, rubbing at his eyes with his fists. “No matter how many times I cook, I can never get used to cutting them.”

Chanyeol looked around his small kitchen and saw, on the counter, his chopping board and on that were onions, chopped into little pieces. He stared at that, his mouth opening in understanding and surprise before glancing back to a Yixing who was still blinking away the effect of onions in his eyes.

Chanyeol burst out laughing, bending over and putting his hands on his knees, as relief and embarrassment washed over him.

“Believe me, if I thought we did anything last night, I wouldn’t be standing here, crying because of onions and cooking you an omelet.” Yixing muttered, washing his hands before moving to add the onions to the bowl of whisked eggs.

After calming down and making sure his face wasn’t burning with humiliation, Chanyeol straightened and took a deep breath.

“Oh? And what would you be doing?” Chanyeol said in a teasing tone, leaning on the counter and watching Yixing pour the eggs onto the frying pan.

“I’d have you on your back and moaning my name. We wouldn’t have been leaving your bed any time soon.”

Chanyeol’s kitchen was really small and as Yixing smirked at him over a shoulder, Chanyeol felt as if the kitchen was growing smaller, making the distance between them really, really, easy to cross.

Chanyeol could almost imagine himself doing it as Yixing’s attention went back to the eggs he was cooking; grabbing Yixing and pushing him against the counter, pressing his lips against Yixing’s and kissing him until their lips were swollen.

But then the eggs would burn.

He shook his head out of the clouds, even as blood rushed down somewhere between his legs.

Chanyeol forced himself to scoff.

“You are absolutely shameless,” Chanyeol said, forcing himself to roll his eyes and  _ forget _ . He pushed off the counter and stalked to the bathroom in his bedroom.

“I’m going to take a shower,” Chanyeol called.

“I’m assuming it’s a cold one,” Yixing shouted back with a laugh.

_ Damn right, he was going to take a cold shower. _

Yixing and Baekhyun were already sitting around the table and eating when Chanyeol exited the bedroom, a towel draped on his shoulder. Yixing sat with his back to Chanyeol and Baekyun sat in front of him, wolfing down a plate of eggs and bacon.

Baekhyun looked up from his food as Chanyeol approached and his he cocked his head in confusion at the sight.

“You don’t usually wear a shirt right after you take a shower,” Baekhyun mused through a mouth full of food.

Yixing peeked at him over a shoulder, looking him up and down to confirm that he was, indeed, wearing a shirt.

“Usually, you walk around the apartment shirtless until you have to go down and open up shop,” Baekhyun added.

“Seeing as we have a guest, Baek, I’m not sure my walking around half-naked would have been appreciated,” Chanyeol said as he plopped down on a seat facing a plate of food.

“I’m pretty sure, Yixing wouldn’t have minded,” Baekhyun and Yixing shared smirks and went back to their eating.

Chanyeol rolled his eyes and started on his breakfast.

He had ordered Baekyun to do the dishes in exchange for staying the night.

“But Yixing stayed over too,” Baekhyun grumbled as he cleaned up, putting the dishes in the sink and wiping down the table.

“Could I talk to you?” Yixing said as he entered Chanyeol’s room where Chanyeol was getting ready to go down. It was already half past seven. Usually, he was already setting up by this time. Kyungsoo had already texted him that he was on his way over.

“Sure,” Chanyeol muttered, preoccupied with fastening his belt around his hips, his white polo shirt still unbuttoned.

Yixing closed the door behind him and walked over to Chanyeol with a small, sweet smile on his face.

Chanyeol took a step back in alarm as Yixing suddenly grabbed his open shirt and tugged him closer. Yixing looked at him rolled his eyes playfully before tugging him closer again, this time Chanyeol allowed himself to be pulled forward.

“I’m just going to help, idiot,” Yixing muttered.

Chanyeol watched Yixing silently as he buttoned the shirt up, staring at the back of Yixing’s head.

“Done. I’m leaving the top button open because it looks much better that way.”

Yixing looked up to see Chanyeol staring at him intently with a soft smile on his face. Yixing blinked and stepped away as Chanyeol shook his head and cleared his throat.

“Uh – yeah – you wanted to talk about something?” Chanyeol asked.

“I know I haven’t told you my story yet and you barely know me but,” Yixing wrung his hands and stared at the floor. “I kinda need a place to stay for a while.”

Chanyeol raised his eyebrows in surprise. He didn’t know what he was expecting but it definitely wasn’t that.

“Are you okay? Are you in trouble?” Chanyeol frowned.

Yixing looked at him with wide eyes. “No. Not anything like that, I swear. I just had an argument with my parents and I kinda don’t want to see them right now.”

Chanyeol studied Yixing closely. He looked sincere enough and between all the flirting and sexual innuendos, he did seem kind and sweet. Chanyeol’s expression softened as he realized something.

“Are your parents the reason you were crying that night?” Chanyeol asked softly.

Yixing nodded and Chanyeol sighed.

“Fine, you can stay here for a while,” Yixing’s expression brightened and Chanyeol had to suppress a smile. “In exchange, you tell me about yourself over coffee later.”

“Deal,” Yixing grinned.

“You barely know him, Yeol,” Junmyeon frowned at Chanyeol who was currently wiping down the table.

“I know that,” Chanyeol whined. “But he’s more than a stranger and he’s had a lot of opportunities to rob me blind or hurt me, if he hasn’t done it yet then I doubt he ever will.”

Junmyeon raised his hands in surrender, shrugging.

“I’m just worried for you. I mean,  _ you’re  _ the one who has to live with him.”

Chanyeol heaved a deep sigh, pinching the bridge of his nose. It was true that he barely knew Yixing and that what was between them was probably nothing but playful flirting, but Chanyeol was too nice to just kick Yixing out after seeing him cry twice (the second was an accident, but still).

“I’ll deal with it. He’s a nice guy, Junmyeon.”

It was early afternoon and the others were out, walking errands. Kyungsoo was somewhere at the back, probably at the employees’ small lounge room, reading a book while business was slow and Chanyeol didn’t really need that much help.

Bars weren’t really all that packed during these times and so Junmyeon closed his just for a few hours to pay his old café a visit.

Yixing was somewhere upstairs, in his apartment, hopefully not stealing anything Chanyeol owned. He had gone down briefly earlier to tell Chanyeol that a friend of his was coming over to bring over some clothes for him. Chanyeol had smiled and nodded.

“The others probably tell you this a lot but you really are doing a great job running this place. Much better than I did, anyway. I was half-convinced people only came over because the food was cheap and I provided great wifi.”

Chanyeol grinned. “It was certainly the reason  _ I _ came here almost every day. That and your brilliant jokes, of course.”

Junmyeon knew he was teasing him and rolled his eyes.

Jongdae, Baekhyun and Minseok then burst in through the front door, bringing with them noise and laughter. Junmyeon hopped down the stool to give each a friendly hug.

“You don’t have to look so happy to see us, Junmyeon. We saw each other just yesterday,” Baekhyun joked.

“Yes, but I prefer to talk to you preferably sober and able to talk in full sentences.”

While they caught up with each other’s lives, Jongdae pulled a magazine out of his bag and approached Chanyeol excitedly, flipping through the pages.

“Guess who I saw on one of these while I waited for Baekhyun to pick a damned shirt he wanted,” Jongdae said, leaning across the counter to shove the magazine Chanyeol’s face after he was done looking for what he had wanted to show.

“I  _ knew _ he seemed familiar. The first time he came over, I knew I had seen him from somewhere. I had just shrugged it off and told myself that maybe I had served him coffee before.”

It was Yixing.

In the picture he looked just as unreachable as he did the first time Chanyeol had seen him walk through the doors into his coffee shop. He was dressed in a sharp suit, fitted across his broad shoulders, the black stark against his white skin.

His hair was slicked back and his eyes were alight with mischief, a corner of his mouth tugging into a confident smirk.

The perfect image of a cocky son of a CEO.

The man that stood beside him that stood with a straight back and stern face was probably – most likely – his father and the woman that sat on the stool stiffly, his mother.

“I saw his name on the cover. I mean, how many Yixings were there in the world, right? So I checked and then there he was,” Jongdae rambled on and on, attracting the others over.

“Jongdae screamed when he saw,” Minseok chuckled. “We were all shocked but Jongdae literally just ran to the counter to buy the magazine and then ran back here to show you. It’s why we’re back so early.”

“So, what if he’s the son of a CEO?” Chanyeol tried to shrug it off. “It’s not like he’s suddenly going to act all bossy and arrogant now that we know.”

“But why did he even try to hide it?” Baekhyun wondered.

“Because I wanted to feel like a normal person with normal friends who go out to party without having to be guarded and hidden at all times.”

Yixing was standing under the doorway to the kitchen, a sheepish smile on his face (so at odds with the cocky smirk he had in the magazine picture).

He looked kinder in real life, much more softer and approachable in his blue fitted jeans and –

Chanyeol’s shirt.

“He wears your shirt better than you do, Chanyeol,” Baekhyun said, a shit-eating grin on his face.

The others had noticed as well, raising their eyebrows and exchanging knowing glances. Jongdae actually hit Minseok on the arm and Minseok hit him back, equally as excited. Junmyeon crossed his arms over his chest and as he caught Chanyeol’s eye, he nodded in approval.

His face reddening by the second, Chanyeol rolled his eyes.

“Get your minds out of the gutter, weirdoes. He just needed some clothes. I couldn’t let him walk around the apartment shirtless.”

“So, you gave him your shirt instead? I didn’t know you were into that, Yeol,” Baekhyun teased, taking a seat on one of the stools, tossing his bag onto the counter. The others following suit.

“I’ll hit you with this washcloth, Baek. Don’t test me.”

Baekhyun stuck out his tongue.

Yixing approached and stood beside Chanyeol, his head angled to the side to study the magazine that was still open on his page. He had a small, unamused smile on his face as he studied.

“This was taken a few months ago,” he mused. Everyone was silent for a second, waiting if he was going to say anything else.

“So ,” Baekhyun began. Chanyeol threw him a warning glare but Baekhyun shrugged it off.

“So, soon to be CEO,  _ Zhang Yixing _ ,” Baekhyun smiled. “What are you doing here, entertaining us mere peasants?”

Yixing furrowed his eyebrows and pouted, troubled.

“Don’t call yourselves that. I’m not that much different from you guys. I’m just –“

“Richer?” Junmyeon piped up.

“Handsomer?” Jongdae suggested.

“Taller?” Kyungsoo muttered as he slowly joined the group around the counter.

Chanyeol didn’t give a suggestion, opting instead to lean sideways on the counter and listen to Yixing, smiling stupidly all the while.

Yixing laughed while shaking his head.

“I may be all of those things but I don’t see why I’m put on such a high pedestal for them. I can’t help what I’m born with. I want to be able to hang out with people who won’t hang out with me just because I’m rich and have power.”

Chanyeol pursed his lips.

“Are all your current friends like that?” He asked, crossing his arms across his chest. “If so, then you need new friends.”

“I’m not so sure you’d be what you’d call ‘good friends’ after what happened last night,” Junmyeon mused. “Yixing could barely stand on his own two feet.”

“It wasn’t that bad,” Chanyeol argued. “Baekhyun was  _ way _ worse. He was passed out before we were even considering leaving.”

“Jongdae hadn’t even touched his third drink and he was already drunk!” Baekhyun tried to defend himself.

“At least he was able to walk out of there on his own, Baek, stumbling like an idiot but still,” Minseok smirked. “Everyone knows that out of all of us, you’re the worst with alcohol.”

Baekhyun turned away from them, propping his chin on his hand and proceeded to sulk.

Everyone let out soft chuckles as Jongdae walked over to comfort him.

“I have a few friends who’re as rowdy as you guys are. They usually drag me out to bars even if I don’t want to as well,” Yixing said, beginning to flip through the magazine.

“Anyone we know? Like an actor or a singer or anyone even remotely famous?” Jongdae asked excitedly from where he stood beside Baekhyun, rubbing soothing circles across his back.

“Two are models, I don’t know if you’ve heard of them though.” Yixing responded after thinking about it a few seconds. “The other is the son of another CEO like me.”

Finally, Chanyeol was starting to get know a bit more about this mysterious, apparently handsome man who had walked into his life crying.

Unfortunately, a customer had chosen that moment to arrive and Chanyeol had been forced to shoo his friends and Yixing away.

The sun was already setting when Yixing’s friend arrived, a beautiful orange hue coating the almost empty coffee shop and the city street outside.

The man was tall (which was saying something, since Chanyeol was quite tall himself).He wore stylish, classy layers of clothes just as Yixing had that first morning he had walked in.

Chanyeol had smiled at him the way he smiled at all his customers.

“Can I help you?” He asked the man politely.

The man had looked around almost confusedly.

“Is Lay here?” He had asked and lifted the suitcase he had been dragging around with him slightly. “I brought the clothes he asked for.”

“Oh,” Chanyeol’s eyes widened as he remembered that Yixing had indeed mentioned that a friend would be coming over. It took him a few seconds to remember that Yixing was also sometimes called Lay.

“Uh – yeah, he’s upstairs.”

“I’ll get him,” Minseok, who had been serving a table, suddenly piped in, eyeing the tall man curiously.

The man inclined his head in greeting, a sheepish smile on his face.

When Minseok had disappeared through the doors to the kitchen, the man brought his hand between them for a handshake.

“I guess you’re Chanyeol? Yixing mentioned you on the phone.”

Chanyeol took his hand and shook it, nodding his head.

“My name is Kris. I’m a friend of his. This is a really nice place you’ve got here.” Kris looked around after dropping the handshake, studying the place with an impressed look on his place.

“Thank you,” Chanyeol smiled cheekily.

Kris stared at Chanyeol for a few seconds before smiling softly.

“I can also see why Lay has taken a liking to you.”

“Back off, Yifan. Find your own cutely awkward barista,” Yixing said as he walked out of the kitchen, still wearing Chanyeol’s shirt. He went around the corner and Kris handed him the suitcase which was, Chanyeol assumed, filled with clothes.

“Is that your shirt?” Yifan – Kris – suddenly asked, stepping back to study Yixing’s choice of fashion. “I’ve never seen you wear it before now.”

“I haven’t gone home in almost two days, Yifan. Do you expect me to be wearing the same clothes I was wearing the last time you saw me?”

Chanyeol raised his eyebrows in surprise.

Two days? Why hadn’t he gone home in two days?

“I assume you’re still pissed at your parents,” Yifan chuckled.

“You assume correct. Have they been over to your apartment to look for me?” Yixing hauled his suitcase with him around the counter and set it aside, moving to stand beside Chanyeol, a counter between them and Yifan.

“No. But Zitao and Luhan have been worried about you. You weren’t answering their calls. You weren’t answering mine either until this morning.”

“I’m fine, as you can see,” Yixing then started to speak in a language Chanyeol didn’t understand. After listening to them talk back and forth with the unfamiliar words, Chanyeol recognized the language as Mandarin.

Of course, he’d know how to speak Chinese, Chanyeol mentally cursed himself. He’s named  _ Zhang Yixing _ , for Christ’s sake.

They seemed to be arguing about something and after a few seconds Chanyeol began to feel just a bit frustrated.

“You’re not talking shit about me, are you? I can’t understand a word you’re saying.” Chanyeol muttered.

Both stare at him for a second before laughing.

“Don’t worry, we’re talking shit but it isn’t about you,” Yixing joked but there was a sharpness to his tone that Chanyeol didn’t miss. Kris seemed to notice as well, his expression quickly turning sour and worried.

“I promise to call the others later, Yifan. Give me a few hours to settle in first.”

As Yixing was turning away to go back up to the apartment, Chanyeol caught his eye.

_ What is happening? _ Chanyeol tried to ask through his eyes.

Yixing shook his head subtly.

_ Later. _

Chanyeol pursed his lips, disappointed but not surprised. Yixing had been avoiding telling him anything since the day they had met.

Yixing gave Kris one last smile before walking away, back upstairs.

Kris tsked as Yixing disappeared back through the kitchen doors.

“He’s always been so stubborn,” Kris muttered, fixing his coat around his shoulders and offering Chanyeol a half-smile.

“What’s he so stubborn about?” Chanyeol asked. He didn’t seem like the stubborn type in Chanyeol’s eyes, but what would he know?

“Things he knows he can’t have.”

Kris sighed deeply and shook his head.

“Look after him, will you?” He added. “He may be a bit reserved and secretive but he’s got a good heart.”

“You think I’d let him live with me if I didn’t know that?” Chanyeol scoffed lightheartedly, his mind elsewhere.

Kris chuckled.

“You two are very similar in a weird way.”

And with that Yixing’s tall friend left Chanyeol with more questions than he had that morning.

“You’re not getting out of this,” Chanyeol said the moment he walked into his apartment, untying his apron and throwing it haphazardly over the back of a chair.

“I’m not getting out of what?” Yixing asked from the kitchen where he was most probably cooking dinner for the both of them.

“Don’t play stupid. You know what I’m talking about,” Chanyeol leaned over the kitchen counter, watching Yixing’s back as he cooked. It was weird for him to have someone else walking around his apartment. He’s been living alone for three months now and coming home to someone cooking for him was an unfamiliar feeling.

Chanyeol remembered the thought that had crossed his mind before he had fallen asleep; how he would be content with having someone like Yixing by his side. They may not know each other very well but Chanyeol felt strangely comfortable around him.

But that didn’t mean Chanyeol didn’t need to know who exactly he was dealing with here.

“You can ask me questions me now, if you’d like,” Yixing said, throwing Chanyeol a smile over his shoulder as he continued to cook.

“Is that okay with you?”

Yixing shrugged. “You’re letting me live with you when you barely even know me. The least I can do is cook you a delicious dinner  _ and  _ tell you a bit about myself.”

“I didn’t think you could cook,” Chanyeol said, amused. “You know, being rich and all.”

Yixing laughed lightly as he continued stirring whatever it was he was cooking. Chanyeol honestly couldn’t care less. He was already low-key ecstatic someone was finally cooking for him and not the other way around.

“A few years ago, I had no idea how to cook. Even ramen was a struggle for me.”

Chanyeol snickered.

“Hey! I grew up with cooks and maids preparing my meals, okay?” Yixing defended himself, whirling to face Chanyeol and waving his stirring rod threateningly in his direction. “I haven’t seen my mother or father cook in 2 decades. There wasn’t really anyone I could learn from.”

Chanyeol rolled his eyes good-naturedly. “And what made you want to learn how to cook?”

“Because I wanted to be able to be cook for the one I love someday,” Yixing laughed out at Chanyeol’s expression. “I’m kidding! I dunno – I thought I looked a bit pretentious having to make everyone cook for me when I was perfectly capable of cooking for myself.”

“Most of the people that grew up like you probably wouldn’t even care about stuff like that,” Chanyeol mused. “You’re really something, you know that?”

“You’re flirting skills seem to be improving.”

Chanyeol pouted as he began setting up the table for the two of them.

“I wasn’t trying to flirt,” he muttered, earning a warm laugh from Yixing that made Chanyeol’s heart flutter a bit.

Indeed, Chanyeol felt incredibly comfortable around this man despite his sneaky glances and smirks.

Yixing settled the food in front of them. He had cooked  _ a lot _ . Chanyeol eyed it curiously.

“You didn’t empty out my fridge, did you?” Chanyeol joked.

“I’ll go grocery shopping tomorrow, if you’d like,” Yixing said, waving it away. “I thought that, since we’d be talking about me tonight, we’re going to have to pace ourselves.”

Chanyeol gave him a weird look to which Yixing replied an innocent look in return as they began piling their plates with food.

“Let’s pretend like we’re meeting again for the first time,” Chanyeol suggested as he took his first bite of food. “I think it’d be easier.”

“So, we’re just going to forget the fact that we grinded up against each other last night?” Yixing asked, blinking his eyes innocently as he took a bite out of his own food.

“You’re the one who grinded up against me!” Chanyeol sputtered out, turning red once more.

“Don’t pretend you weren’t asking for it,” Yixing smirked but then burst into giggles a second later. “I would apologize for constantly teasing you but I’m honestly not feeling sorry at all. Your expressions are hilarious.”

Chanyeol grabbed a roll of tissue from the counter, grabbed some and used it to wipe his mouth before speaking.

“You’re horrible,” Chanyeol glared at him but Yixing only gave him a cheeky smile in return, one of the most genuine smiles Yixing had ever given him. Chanyeol’s heart softened at the sight, even if he was a bit irked at how he kept teasing him out of nowhere.

Chanyeol wasn’t sure how he’d survive living with this boy.

But he was slowly starting to realize that he wasn’t sure how he had survived all this time without him in his life.

Chanyeol crinkled his nose in disgust at himself. He’s been telling himself this all day and it’s getting really tiring, but he barely knew the guy; any feelings Chanyeol had for him are either the spur of the moment type or just the desperate for love kind.

All these thoughts crashed around noisily around his mind and he had to shake his head physically to shake them all off and focus on what was happening right now.

He caught Yixing giving him a look between amused and weirded-out, his chin propped up on a hand.

Chanyeol grew so flustered under his gaze that he almost forgot what they were supposed to be doing.

“So?” Yixing motioned his fork to encourage him on. “I guess we’d start with introductions, huh?”

“Yeah, I guess,” Chanyeol stuffed a spoonful of food in his mouth to avoid going first. Yixing glared at him playfully but smiled nonetheless.

“Hi,” he began, leaning back on his chair. “My name is Zhang Yixing and who might you be?”

Chanyeol swallowed. “Park Chanyeol.”

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Chanyeol,” Yixing smiled genuinely at him, his dimple showing. Chanyeol grinned back.

From there on, Yixing had allowed Chanyeol to ask him any question, and he seemed to be answering as truthfully as he could.  In exchange, Chanyeol would have to answer any question Yixing had as well.

And only then did it occur to Chanyeol that he hadn’t been the only one who had been thrown into a totally unfamiliar situation and that Yixing knew him about as much as Chanyeol knew Yixing.

He learned that Yixing was older than him, much to the smug satisfaction of Yixing, and that Yixing was an only child. He had been home-schooled his whole life, his parent’s sending for some of the best teachers to prep Yixing to take over for the company.

Yixing rolled his eyes as he said this, clearly finding the whole thing rather foolish.

He’s been living in Korea for more than a decade, his family moving here from China when they wanted to expand their company’s territory.

“You speak Korean pretty well,” Chanyeol had said, acknowledging how hard it must have been to learn a new language.

“Well, if it gets me the handsome, Korean boys,” Yixing winked at him and Chanyeol groaned.

“Please stop.”

Yixing had down some modeling for some brands here and there but nothing too big. He claimed that, ever since he had been a child, music is what he wanted to do with his life; much to Chanyeol’s delighted surprise.

He wanted to produce – to perform in front of a large crowd, to let people hear his music and why it meant so much to him.

As he talked enigmatically, his arms waving here and there, Chanyeol couldn’t help but join in, talking about his own experience and ideas and past dreams.

They must have talked for half an hour about music alone, getting lost in their own little world of notes and lyrics and beats and Chanyeol was finding it very hard not to fall in love with the man in front of him.

“Aren’t you going to ask the question that’s probably been on the tip of your tongue ever since I left that night?” Yixing mused, putting the last of his food in his mouth, watching Chanyeol carefully.

Chanyeol furrowed his eyebrows in confusion. “Uh – were you attracted to me as much as I was attracted to you?”

Yixing stared at him in surprise before bursting out laughing.

“No, you idiot,” he hiccupped through gasping laughs. “Aren’t you going to ask me why I was crying that night and every other night prior to that where I entered your shop only to sit in a corner and brood and sulk.”

Chanyeol blinked, feeling stupid. “Oh, I just assumed you’d tell me when you were ready. I haven’t even asked you why you suddenly asked to stay with me for a while. You don’t have to tell me everything in one night, we still have more nights to talk about it,” Chanyeol offered Yixing a kind smile which Yixing returned with a sheepish smile of his own.

“They’re kinda connected. You know how I love music?”

“Well we did spend most of this date talking about it instead of actually eating so, yeah, I remember.”

“It’s all rather cliché, honestly. Whenever I think about it, I feel kinda stupid for crying but I was just,” Yixing scrunched his face up; trying to express what he was feeling in words. “ – frustrated, I guess.”

Chanyeol waited patiently for him to elaborate.

“My parents think that my passion for music isn’t something to be taken seriously. I’m my father’s only child, you see. So, obviously, he wants me to take over the company someday. Like I said, it’s all very cliché,” Yixing rolled his eyes but Chanyeol could see (anyone could see, honestly) that he was genuinely troubled by his problem.

“All those other nights I came in crying were the days I had learned that my father had intervened in my auditions for music companies  _ again _ . He manages to find out every single damn time I try to audition and makes it a point to scold me after he threatens the companies into not accepting me. The night before last night was particularly bad,” Yixing let out a dry laugh, the sound void of any amusement as he shook his head back and forth.

Chanyeol remembered how Yixing had looked last night before he had invited him out for a drink, still handsome but tiredly so.

“My father didn’t particularly enjoy me shouting at him about my - uh –  _ sexuality _ ,” Yixing scoffed at the term, “as he reminded me about my duties and responsibilities as his son.”

Chanyeol’s eyebrows rose. He was a bit relieved that Yixing had brought up his ‘preferences’ himself and that he hadn’t needed to ask. (But based on how Yixing had grinded his hips against Chanyeol’s, there wasn’t much to doubt).

“And I’m assuming he knew you were gay before hand?”

“Nope,” Yixing smirked.

Chanyeol let out a breathy laugh, not really knowing how to react. “And how exactly did you let it slip?”

“Well, he was lecturing me about how I wasn’t acting like how the future president of a company should have been acting again, and I believe, if my memory hasn’t failed me, my exact words were

‘ _ Well, I guess, I got the being a  _ dick _ part down, seeing as I’ve been shoving it down my throat for the past few years. _ ’”

Chanyeol choked on the water he had been conveniently sipping on.Coughing it out, Chanyeol could just imagine the scene playing out in his head.

“Oh God. You are absolutely insane,” Chanyeol groaned, he stood up from the table, bringing his empty plate with him.

“I don’t know you. Don’t even talk to me,” Chanyeol muttered as Yixing followed him to the kitchen, laughing all the while.

“It wasn’t  _ that _ bad,” Yixing tried to defend himself half-heartedly, setting his plate down beside Chanyeol’s on the sink.

Chanyeol whirled around to face him, his eyebrows raised questioningly.

“’That bad?’  _ That bad _ ?” Chanyeol shook his head as he broke into a reluctant grin. “Yixing, that was probably the worst way to come out to your parents. I’m not judging you or anything, but you have to admit, that was even  _ just a bit _ stupid.”

Yixing shrugged.

“At least I got my point across.”

Chanyeol chuckled, agreeing with him. He leaned back, his back digging against the edge of the sink, and crossed his arms over his chest.

“Did they kick you out after that? Is that why you were walking around the streets so late last night?”

“I have my own apartment but it’s far too close to theirs for my liking,” Yixing made a face of disgust. “I was walking around last night because I found myself wanting to visit you and talk to you over a cup of coffee.”

Yixing’s disgusted face shifted into one of with a soft smile and kind eyes.

“Instead, you asked me to have a drink with you. Which I am actually very grateful for,” Yixing grinned at him as Chanyeol cocked his head in question.  “All that alcohol and dancing distracted me for a few hours.”

“Glad I could be of help,” Chanyeol returned the grin.

“Not that I don’t want you here.”  _ I very much like the idea of you being here _ .  “But you told me there were a group of friends you were actually close with. Why not stay with them instead?”

“My parents already know those friends and where they live. They wouldn’t have been able to hide me for more than a week.”

“And how long do you plan to hide from them exactly?” Chanyeol arched his eyebrows once more.

“How long are you willing to let me stay here?” For once that night, Yixing actually had worry lacing his tone. “I don’t want to be much of a burden, Chanyeol. If you need me gone, I’ll go.”

“You can stay here for as long as you need, Yixing. I honestly don’t mind.”

Chanyeol had said that but as soon as they were all washed and ready for sleep they were faced by their first problem.

There was only one bed and there was no room anywhere in the whole apartment to add another one.

Together they stared down at it, awkwardly standing side by side.

“I can sleep on the couch,” Yixing said, jerking his thumb towards the direction of the door. “I don’t think you’re drunk enough to want a stranger to sleep beside you.”

“The bed is big enough for the both of us. We barely even touched last night,” Chanyeol pointed out. “The couch is too uncomfortable for you to sleep on.”

“Then why do you let – Baekhyun? Sleep on it whenever he comes over?”

“Because Baek knows the apartment is kinda small and he only stays over when he’s kinda drunk and, believe me when I say, that he deserves to sleep on that couch when he Kyungsoo drops him over here drunk off his ass.”

Yixing chuckled. “And he’s never tried to sneak in here and sleep beside you while you were already asleep?”

“Oh, he’s tried once or twice. I found him wrapped around me like an overgrown koala. I’d kicked him off the bed. It was a great way to start the day,” Chanyeol smirked at the memory of Baekhyun yelling out profanities on the floor.

Yixing laughed and moved to sit down at the edge of the bed. “Promise not to kick me of the bed, then, and I promise to control myself while lying beside you.”

Chanyeol wasn’t so sure he wanted Yixing to control himself but made the promise anyway.

And for the second time, they lay side by side, Chanyeol facing the wall, Yixing lying on his back as they fell asleep listening to each other’s calming, reassuring breaths.

 

Chanyeol was watching Yixing as he sat up on a stool on the platform, playing around with the strings of his own guitar. Kris had brought it over just yesterday and ever since then Chanyeol’s been convincing Yixing to play for him.

It was late afternoon, a week after Chanyeol had let Yixing live with him for the time being and there were no customers around to be served. His friends all had classes again and could now only come over during scheduled shifts and Friday nights. Chanyeol had spent a good half-hour pleading Yixing to play something for him before people started arriving.

It was Jongin and Sehun’s shift in less than hour and though he had more help, he still ended up a lot more exhausted than when he had to work alone.

Well, these days, even if the others were at the university, Chanyeol no was no longer alone.

Yixing was always buzzing around, wiping down tables he had already wiped, asking the customers if they were alright with their orders and chatting Chanyeol up. It was all very adorable; Chanyeol would usually found himself watching Yixing work like he was doing right now.

He just hadn’t expected Yixing to look so damn good as a barista.

Chanyeol pouted at the unfairness of it all.

“Hey! I haven’t even started and you already look disappointed,” Yixing glared at him playfully from where he sat on the stool.

“I will be if you keep stalling and end up not playing because somebody suddenly walks in,” Chanyeol shot back.

“I’d rather they walked in on us making out instead,” Yixing muttered but even beneath the silent whirr of the machines brewing near him, Chanyeol still heard.

Chanyeol was slowly getting used to Yixing teasing him 24/7 but he still couldn’t help but flush just a little bit every time.

“That’s not going to happen any time soon so would you just please sing a song before I go crazy over here.”

It was Yixing’s turn to pout.

“Will you give me a kiss if I do?” Yixing pout turned into a sly grin. “Just a peck.”

Chanyeol sighed heavily, tired of his antics and Yixing merely laughed.

“Fine, fine.”

And he began playing.

Chanyeol wondered if he had made Yixing feel like this when he had performed onstage – he hoped so. He was completely mesmerized even before Yixing had begun singing. He stumbled on the first few chords but he quickly found his groove and was soon lost in his own world. Chanyeol found it incredibly attractive.

Yixing’s voice was light and soft and Chanyeol was completely enraptured, embarrassingly so.

Chanyeol knew the song and hummed along as he worked behind the counter, sneaking glances at Yixing once in a while. Yixing had a small smile on his face and maybe it was only because Chanyeol was completely delusional but it seemed as if the sunlight through the glass windows was hitting Yixing at just the right angle to make him look he was glowing.

Yixing caught him staring and threw him a wink without missing a stride.

Chanyeol sang a line with him which made Yixing grin rather happily which in turn made Chanyeol grin.

So, they were grinning at each other like idiots in love when Sehun and Jongin walked in.

Sehun looked mildly disgusted but mostly amused and Jongin had this knowing look on his face as he glanced back and forth between Chanyeol and Yixing.

Yixing, much to Chanyeol’s dismay, hopped off the stool and put the guitar aside as they entered.

“Why’d you stop?” Jongin pouted at Yixing. “It sounded really nice.”

“You’re going to need all the help you can get when your ‘fans’ arrive,” Yixing responded, tying the apron he had thrown over a chair back around his waist as the three of them walked around the counter, over where Chanyeol stood.

“You should perform this Friday,” Sehun suddenly suggested, thinking nothing of it as he entered the dressing room near the kitchen. “So, everyone gets to hear you sing.”

“That’s actually a brilliant idea,” Jongin agreed, clapping excitedly. “Why don’t you, hyung? It’s going to be fun.”

The first of the customers started arriving and Chanyeol and Yixing rushed to accommodate them while Jongin followed Sehun toward the dressing rooms to change out of their clothes and into their barista uniforms and aprons.

“Are you?” Chanyeol asked Yixing as they moved around, making drinks and taking orders, already accustomed to each other in the small space they had.

Yixing’s brows were furrowed in concentration as he added whipped cream to a drink.

“Am I what?” He straightened and smiled in satisfaction at the finished product, putting the cover over it and putting it on the counter to be served by either Sehun or Jongin – whoever  finished dressing up faster.

“Are you going to perform this Friday night?” Chanyeol clarified before smiling at the customer who had walked up to the counter. A few minutes of Chanyeol taking orders and Yixing preparing them later, Yixing finally answered.

“I’ll think about it.”

“Won’t you let me hear it?” Chanyeol pouted at the closed door to his bedroom where Yixing had holed himself up with his guitar.

Yixing’s voice was muffled as he answered with a slight laugh.

“No, you’re going to have to wait and see like the others.”

“Won’t you at least let me in the bathroom? I badly need to pee.”

Chanyeol let out a smirk of satisfaction as Yixing opened the door.

“I’m just kidding,” Chanyeol grinned down at Yixing, which caused him to roll his eyes in amusement.

Chanyeol plopped down on the bed, blinking innocently and expectantly at Yixing.

“Keep staring at me like that and I’ll give you a different show,” Yixing warned, putting aside the guitar before settling down beside Chanyeol.

“I wouldn’t have minded that either,” Chanyeol muttered to himself, looking away from Yixing who had raised his eyebrows in surprise at the response.

“Is this finally the night you let me kiss you?” Yixing cocked his head to the side playfully.

Chanyeol narrowed his eyes at him.

“If you sing for me, I might consider it,” Chanyeol gave Yixing a sly grin to which he laughed at, flopping down on the bed and closing his eyes.

“Tomorrow night, then,” Yixing said, rolling over and getting ready to sleep.

Chanyeol pouted as he stood up to close the lights to the room and was still slightly pouting when he settled down beside Yixing. He wasn’t sure if he was disappointed because he would have to wait another day before he could Yixing perform seriously again or because Yixing hadn’t wanted to kiss him enough to sing for him.

If he had asked Chanyeol to sing for him in exchange for a kiss, Chanyeol would’ve done it in a heartbeat.

As Chanyeol made himself comfortable on the bed, lying on his back, Yixing rolled over and curled up beside him, laying his forehead lightly on Chanyeol’s arm. After that one night, two days after Yixing had begun living with him, where they had woken up with their arms wrapped around loosely around one another, they would now usually allow small touches as they fell asleep.

At first, every touch left Chanyeol burning with something he couldn’t describe. He wasn’t sure if it was the typical sexual desire he had felt that night at the club or just a longing for something more between them. But now, just a week into their arrangement, it seemed as if every touch – every smile – was familiar and warm, something the both of them needed.

“You keep bugging me about letting you hear what I’m going to perform tomorrow when you haven’t even let me hear yours,” Yixing murmured softly.

“Well, then, I guess we’re going to have to surprise each other tomorrow,” Chanyeol murmured back, a smile playing around his lips.

Yixing had finally agreed to perform a day after Sehun had suggested it but only if Chanyeol promised to perform as well. Chanyeol had accepted his terms without hesitation.

And for two days both of them had tried to hide from the other what they planned on singing, going so far as to lock each other out of the bedroom for an hour.

Chanyeol whispered a soft goodnight into the night air as he began drifting asleep to sound of Yixing’s soft and rhythmic breathing.

“Goodnight,” Yixing murmured sleepily back.

“We’re here!” Baekhyun exclaimed, throwing the door to the café open, the wind-chimes ringing wildly in response to the sudden entrance.

Jongdae, Baekhyun and Kyungsoo entered together, their school bags still over their shoulders.

“Yay,” Chanyeol cheered half-heartedly as he turned around to look at them.

Baekhyun and Jongdae glared at him for his lack enthusiasm but grinned when Yixing walked by with an empty tray beneath his arm.

Yixing smiled as he noticed them.

“Hey, guys,” he greeted them.

Chanyeol watched Kyungsoo say his own small greeting to Yixing before moving to sit at the stool facing Chanyeol behind counter, leaving Jongdae and Baekhyun to pester Yixing about his upcoming performance.

The shop was already half full in anticipation, the mood of the audience warm and comfortable. The sun outside was setting as well, surrounding the whole place with a nice, afternoon glow.

“How was school?” Chanyeol asked Kyungsoo as he moved to move to make Kyungsoo’s favorite drink without even being told. Kyungsoo was taking out notes and pens from his bag, getting ready to do homework while half-listening to the performers.

“Normal, as per usual,” he muttered, too preoccupied with his notes to give a longer answer. Chanyeol understood and merely chuckled, continuing his brewing.

“What are you going to sing, Yeol?” Baekyun leaned over the counter excitedly having finished off his conversation with Yixing. Jongdae settled on the other side of Kyungsoo, peeking at what he was doing and Yixing went around the counter to stand beside Chanyeol while there weren’t any customers in need of help.

“Yixing asked you to ask me, didn’t he?” Chanyeol glanced at Yixing as he gave him an innocent look in return.

Baekhyun shrugged, settling down on the stool. “He did. But I’m kinda curious, myself. Is it a song we know?”

“It’s fairly recent so you might’ve heard over the radio or wherever.”

Baekhyun pursed his lips in thought.

“Don’t think too deeply into it, Baek. We’ll hear it later, anyway,” Kyungsoo suddenly said, continuing to write out notes and symbols.

 

“Yeah, can’t you wait a few more hours?” Chanyeol teased as he put down Kyungsoo’s drink in front of him. He merely nodded as thanks, not taking his eyes off of what he was doing.

“Aren’t you nervous, Yixing?” Jongdae asked Yixing who had been silently studying Kyungsoo’s papers with an interest.

“A bit,” Yixing admitted with a sheepish smile as he played with his hands. “None of you are performing tonight?”

“I might,” Baekhyun piped in. “I didn’t sing last week.”

The rest of the words from Baekhyun’s mouth were blocked out by Chanyeol’s own worrying thoughts. He wasn’t nervous at all about performing onstage in front of a lot of people but rather he was nervous about whether the one he was singing for would hear – and would understand.

Over the past week, Chanyeol had been sorting out his feelings for Yixing. It was nowhere near love, he knew, but it was obviously more than attraction. There were times where he simply couldn’t take his eyes off of Yixing whenever they were alone at the apartment together. They had become less and less awkward this past week and Chanyeol could now surely declare Yixing was his friend.

But he wasn’t sure if he wanted to be just friends or something more.

A hand on his arm brought him to reality.

He smiled questioningly down at Yixing who was giving him a slightly worried look.

“Are you okay?” Yixing asked him. “You look a bit pale. Maybe you should sit down for a while before you have to go onstage. We’re all here anyway, we could handle it.”

Chanyeol shook his head in back and forth.

“I’m fine. I’m fine,” Chanyeol chuckled as he raised his hands, palms up. “I was just thinking about something.”

“Don’t tell me you’re actually nervous, Chanyeol?” Jongdae teased. “We haven’t seen you nervous since that first night you rapped underground.”

“Oh, you looked hilarious back then, jumping from foot to foot, biting your nails, I thought you were going to shit yourself,” Baekhyun laughed out, recalling the memory.

“Hey! That was two years ago. I don’t get nervous like that anymore,” Chanyeol defended himself as Jongdae and Baekhyun snickered.

“I didn’t know you could rap,” Yixing said. Chanyeol looked at him and Yixing was looking at him with so much awe that Chanyeol could feel butterflies flutter up in his stomach. “Why did you never tell me?”

“Oh, he can rap, alright,” Baekhyun smirked. “And he sounds damn sexy doing it.”

“Everything he does is sexy.”

Chanyeol blushed at the carelessly thrown comment.

“So, what you’re trying to say is that, Chanyeol rapping is  _ so sexy _ that I would literally just want him right then and there.”

Jongdae nodded. “It really is impressive. He’s like a different person when he gets up on a stage, with the boom of the bass behind him, spitting out straight fire.”

Yixing whirled around to look at Chanyeol who was now red all over and flustered at being complimented so much.

“You have to let me hear you rap sometime,” Yixing exclaimed. Chanyeol chuckled at his enthusiasm.

“Why don’t we get through tonight first and I’ll think about it, huh?” Chanyeol suggested. “I haven’t actually done it – professionally – in a few months. I’m bound to be a bit rusty.”

Kyungsoo finally looked up from what he was doing to frown at Chanyeol.

“Talent doesn’t fade, Chanyeol. If your singing is any indication, I predict your rapping is as good as it was before.”

The familiar constant buzzing of the people and brewing coffee filled Chanyeol’s ears as he watched Yixing go up the stage and set up. He wasn’t sure why he was the one feeling nervous; he wasn’t the one performing – not yet anyway.

Yixing didn’t seem to be nervous as he adjusted to mic’s height and strummed his guitar twice to check if the sound was okay.

When everything was set, Chanyeol watched Yixing close his eyes and take a deep breath. Maybe, he was nervous after all.

He opened his eyes and looked directly at him. Chanyeol was a bit surprised but he managed to smile at Yixing and give him a thumbs-up.

Yixing smiled back so beautifully, it almost took Chanyeol’s breath away.

But then Yixing started playing and Chanyeol wasn’t sure if he  _ was  _ still breathing. Yixing’s fingers danced around the strings, plucking precisely where he meant to, creating a melody Chanyeol thought was too beautiful for his too small coffee shop.

Chanyeol was so mesmerized he almost couldn’t make out the words Yixing was singing but it was soft and kind and gentle. Just like he was.

The song continued on up to a part where Yixing stopped singing and simply played his guitar, but even that was enough. Somehow, without words, Chanyeol could hear what Yixing was saying through the music he created with a few plucks of the guitar strings.

Chanyeol, completely immersed with the music, startled as he noticed Yixing staring at him as he played on, a look on his face that told Chanyeol that the song was for him and only for him.

And it was truly one of the most beautiful songs he had ever heard.

Chanyeol was sad when it ended and made a mental note to ask Yixing to play it for him again. Chanyeol didn’t care how many kisses Yixing asked for it, Chanyeol would give them all.

The crowd cheered and applauded for the brilliant performance.

Like always, Chanyeol’s group of friends hollered and  _ screamed _ their support from where they sat around the counter.

“He’s only going to sing one song?” Sehun questioned from where he sat on the stool in front of Chanyeol as they watched Yixing get off the stage.

Jongdae, beside him, nodded silently, a big proud smile on his face as he kept clapping his hands until Yixing reached where they were all gathered.

Baekhyun hopped down from his own stool and approached the small stage, grinning wildly at Yixing as he passed.

“Good job!” Baekhyun cheered, clapping a hand on Yixing’s shoulder as he passed by. Yixing bowed his head curtly as a thank you.

“You should have sung more songs,” Jongin pouted at Yixing. He could only chuckle.

“I’m too nervous to sing more,” Yixing answered with a sheepish grin, rubbing the back of his neck. “I’m sorry.”

“You shouldn’t have been nervous,” Chanyeol tried to comfort Yixing. “You did amazing. More than amazing, actually.”

Yixing grinned at him and Chanyeol grinned back with equal adoration.

“This is for the two love birds over there,” Baekhyun said into the mic, “Who just really need to get together by now.”

Sehun and the others guffawed and cheered as Baekhyun shamelessly called them out; the audience that had been watching Baekhyun, turn around on their seats to look at their small, noisy group at the back.

Yixing and Chanyeol exchanged amused looks before rolling their eyes and laughing.

They dimmed the lights once more as Baekhyun began to play, capturing the audience’s attention once more.

In the dark, Chanyeol watched as Yixing slipped behind the counter to stand beside him.

“Did you write the song?” Chanyol whispered to him, trying not to be too bothered by the lack of space between them. Yixing leaned just a bit closer toward him as he whispered back.

“No, I just heard it on the radio while driving around months ago.”

“What do I have to do to get you to sing that for me again?”

Yixing hummed as he thought about it. Chanyeol could imagine the small smirk that was currently playing around Yixing’s lips despite not looking at him in the dark.

“Nothing,” Yixing finally said after a few seconds of thinking, listening to Baekhyun playing the piano. “You can make me sing it as many times as you want, as many times as I need to get the message across.”

Chanyeol thought back to the lyrics of the song and felt his heart race but he fought off the urge to look at Yixing. The melody and tune of the song had been sweet and lulling, like a lullaby he would sing to a child.  But the lyrics – had been the lyrics of someone in love. Even the way the guitar was played throughout the song gave Chanyeol the feeling of sleeping and waking up beside someone he loved.

“I wasn’t aware you were waiting for an answer,” Chanyeol murmured.

Yixing chuckled.

“I’m not.”

Chanyeol saw Yixing turn his head away from the stage to look at him and Chanyeol did the same. And even under the dim lights, Chanyeol could see that Yixing’s smile was genuine and just a bit embarrassed.

“I just wanted you to know how I felt,” Yixing shrugged before turning back to watch Baekhyun, leaving Chanyeol to stare at him as he thought things over.

But there actually wasn’t anything to think about. Why was he so surprised that Yixing had dedicated a song to him when, he himself had been planning to do the same?

Chanyeol sat on the stool beneath the glare of the spotlights, his guitar on one hand and his heart on his sleeve. Dramatic scenes and cliché imagines entered his mind as he thought about what he was about to do and he was thoroughly annoyed with himself for his own theatrics.

He just wanted to sing for Yixing.

That was all.

He took a deep breath, closing his eyes for a second. The cheers of his friends filled his ears and he couldn’t help but grin before opening them again.

They were all there, Yixing in the middle of them all, his head tilted to the side and an encouraging smile on his lips.

Chanyeol smiled back, his heart beating loudly in his ears as he forced himself to greet the crowd and talk just a bit more, thinking over his song choice.

But even if his head was trying to convince him out of it, he knew his heart was set on singing that song.

And so he began playing.

It was nowhere near complex as Yixing’s. It was fairly simple even by Chanyeol’s standards but he wanted them to focus on his words and not on his playing. He wanted them to understand.

He had heard the song only months ago and had liked it but he had never imagined that he could relate to it so much, but hearing it again after hearing Yixing playing that afternoon and tonight made Chanyeol want to sing it for him even more.

He had decided to sing only one song tonight as well so he’d leave the song ringing in their ears.

Usually, Chanyeol sang to let everyone hear him and fall in love with music just as he had, but tonight he only needed one person to hear. Everyone else could have left him singing there and he wouldn’t have cared, just as long as Yixing had heard then Chanyeol would be content.

“Were you two trying to outdo each other or something? I honestly couldn’t tell which one of you was more in love with the other,” Kyungsoo whispered to Chanyeol as they flipped the chairs and put them over the tables, cleaning up for the night.

The others were scattered around the café, cleaning and sweeping while they chatted lightly about anything and everything. Yixing was behind the counter, wiping it as he nodded to something Baekhyun was excitedly telling him.

“I don’t know what you mean,” Chanyeol muttered. “We were just singing songs we wanted to sing.”

Kyungsoo gave him a look that told him he didn’t believe a word he had just said.

“If you act like nothing just happened between you tonight I might actually punch you, Chanyeol. I swear to God, I really might. You two have been ignoring this thing between you for too long.”

“We’ve known each other for 2 weeks, Kyungsoo,” Chanyeol whispered back. “I don’t want to rush anything.”

“He isn’t going to stay at your apartment forever, Chanyeol. He’ll have to go back to his life and when he does, it is going to be so much harder for the both of you to be able to see each other as much.”

Chanyeol frowned and took a deep breath, pausing with what he was doing to look over his shoulder and look at Yixing.

“Maybe that’s why I don’t want to do anything. I don’t think he’ll be able to stay, even for me.”

“Then why did you sing him that song?”

Kyungsoo’s words bothered Chanyeol for the rest of the night.

Even after cleaning up downstairs and bidding the others goodbye he still thought about it as he sat on the couch in his living room, Yixing going over to the kitchen to get them something to drink.

He came back with two cups of lukewarm milk, one on each hand. He settled it down on the small coffee table as he sat down beside Chanyeol, who was still deep in thought.

“What are you thinking about?” Yixing began waving his hand in Chanyeol’s face to catch his attention.

Chanyeol turned to him with an apologetic smile.

“Nothing, I’m sorry.”

Yixing stared at him for a second longer before shrugging and giving him a half-smile.

“You did great tonight, as per usual. I didn’t want to bug you but I’ve been actually, secretly, waiting for you to sing again ever since that night you had invited me to watch you perform.” Yixing smiled at him giddily, his dimple prominent on his cheek.

“You could have just asked me to sing for you,” Chanyeol pointed out. “I would have sung for you anytime.”

Yixing raised his eyebrows in pleasant surprise. “Really?”

Chanyeol watched him with an amused expression stand up again and pad over to where they had set aside their guitars. He grabbed both before walking and plopping back down on the couch beside him.

He unzipped the case and handed Chanyeol his guitar, looking at him expectantly.

“Sing for me now, then, the song you sang tonight.”

Chanyeol stared at the guitar and then at Yixing before sighing and taking it from him.

“I’ll sing it again  _ if  _ you sing yours again,” Chanyeol challenged, strumming his guitar lightly as he smiled at Yixing.

“If you sing it again, I’ll give you a kiss,” he countered.

Chanyeol flushed but didn’t back down. “But that’s a prize for you, not a prize for me.”

“Oh?” Yixing leaned forward and pushed the guitar Chanyeol held between them down. “Are you telling me you  _ don’t _ want to kiss me?”

Chanyeol’s grip on the guitar tightened as he raised his eyebrow at Yixing, trying to look unimpressed.

“You’ve been threatening to kiss me since last week,” Chanyeol leaned in, their faces as close as it had been when they had danced against each other at Junmyeon’s club. “When are you actually going to do it?”

“I thought you didn’t  _ want _ me to do it,” Yixing breathed, a smile playing around the corners of his lips, making Chanyeol glance at them and run his tongue against his own.

Yixing’s eyes flashed as he noticed, glancing between his lips and eyes.

Chanyeol’s breath hitched as Yixing leaned closer and closer – only to peck him on the cheek.

Yixing pulled back and giggled when he saw the disbelief on Chanyeol’s face.

“You –“

Chanyeol cut him off before he could say another word, pressing his lips against Yixing’s.

There was no explosion of fireworks or anything more than the soft feeling of Yixing’s lips on his, kissing him back. He was the one who initiated the kiss but it was Yixing who was suddenly leading him through it, brushing his hand softly against the hand that held the guitar to urge him to let it go.

They slid the guitar to the floor, lost in each other but not enough to simply throw an instrument to the side.

Yixing pushed him onto his back and straddled him comfortably, not breaking the kiss that getting heavier and hotter by the second.

How they fit perfectly on the couch was as much as a mystery as to how he lasted this long not kissing Yixing.

They broke apart for only a few seconds, breathing heavily and blinking at each other slowly before grinning.

“That was -,” Chanyeol breathed out.

“Late,” Yixing finished, moving to press kisses on Chanyeol’s jaw, lightly nipping it, causing Chanyeol to groan in agreement and move his head to the side, giving Yixing free reign over his throat.

He could feel Yixing’s lips stretch into a smile as he sucked on a bit of his skin there, slipping his hands under Chanyeol’s shirt.

Both of them wanted it off.

Chanyeol lifted himself up into a sitting position, bringing Yixing with him, before reaching for the hem of his shirt, pulling it over his head and tossing it to the side.

Yixing, as if he couldn’t bare the second of separation between them as Chanyeol stripped, leaned forward and pressed his lips against Chanyeol’s once more, pressing his palms lightly on Chanyeol’s chest.

Yixing kissed the corner of his mouth and then the other.

Soft, taunting kisses. Designed to see which one of them would yield first.

Chanyeol, naturally, did.

With a sharp intake of breath, he gripped Yixing’s hips, tugging him against him as Yixing slanted his mouth over his, deepening the kiss until, if Chanyeol had been standing, his knees threatened to buckle. His tongue brushed over his – lazy, deft strokes that told him exactly what he was capable of doing elsewhere.

Chanyeol, not being able to take it, pulled back and attacked Yixing’s throat instead. But no sooner had he breathed on the area, Yixing stiffened and leaned away hastily with a soft mewl.

The sound travelling straight down Chanyeol’s pants.

Chanyeol’s opened his eyes slowly, breathing ragged, satisfied to find Yixing’s own chest rising and falling in an equally uneven rhythm.

“What? You’re allowed to leave hickeys on me and I’m not allowed to mark you?” Chanyeol asked lazily as he leaned back on his arms, trying to catch his breath.

Yixing, for once, looked extremely flustered as he sat lightly on Chanyeol’s thighs, his palm pressed against the area of his neck Chanyeol had planned on sucking on.

He cleared his throat, giving Chanyeol a shy grin, Chanyeol wanted to kiss off.

“My neck is kinda – really – sensitive. I should have warned you,” Yixing scrunched his face up as he rubbed his neck.

Chanyeol grinned at him, incredibly amused with the situation. “So, if we were having sex and I bit on your neck, would you come immediately after?”

Yixing glared at him. “If you bite my neck during sex, I won’t let you come for an hour.”

Chanyeol rolled his eyes as he straightened up once more, pressing a soft peck on Yixing’s cheek as he patted his thighs, signaling for him to get off.

Yixing shook his head stubbornly, making himself heavier on Chanyeol’s thighs.

“We are not  _ fucking  _ on my couch,” Chanyeol said, narrowing his eyes at Yixing as he began grinning mischievously.

“Who said anything about  _ fucking _ ?” Yixing bit his lip as he pushed Chanyeol down on his back.

Chanyeol’s next words were stuck in his throat as Yixing started kissing down his bare torso, his hands travelling to the button of his pants.

“I do seem to remember telling you how good I am at  _ sucking _ ,” Yixing murmured against his skin. His hot breath on Chanyeol’s even hotter skin, made him feel bite his lip to prevent himself from releasing another moan.

“I sing you one song and you’re already ready to give me a blowjob?” Chanyeol breathed out, watching Yixing kiss around the expanse of his chest.

“Oh, I’m ready to give you a blowjob, alright,” Yixing bit his lip as he undid Chanyeol’s belt and unbuttoned his pants.

Chanyeol wasn’t sure he was breathing when Yixing tugged his jeans downward enough for the bulge in his briefs to make an appearance. Yixing laughed at the choking sound Chanyeol produced as Yixing latched his teeth onto the band of his briefs, pulling it away and snapping it back against Chanyeol’s skin.

He does this enough times that Chanyeol almost wanted to push Yixing aside and take off the undergarment himself.

Yixing must’ve heard the need in Chanyeol’s next groan because he, finally, mercifully, pulled the garment down low enough for just his straining head to peak through his boxers. Chanyeol bit his lips to keep any other embarrassing sounds from emitting, his mind blanking out at the feel of the cold air of the room hitting his unclothed cock.

He could  _ feel  _ Yixing’s breathing on him.

And then another rush of wind.

And then Yixing started shaking with laughter above him, the laugh almost hysterical. Chanyeol opened his eyes as he raised his head to look at him in confusion. He was still a bit dazed from the whole ordeal and there wasn’t anything else on his mind other than Yixing’s mouth on his still-straining dick.

And then what was happening, or what Yixing had just did, dawned on Chanyeol as Yixing straightened up, red from laughter.

“Did you just  _ blow _ on my cock?” Chanyeol asked Yixing in a dangerously low voice. He wasn’t sure if he was still turned on or he was completely pissed with the situation.

“I did tell you I was going to give you a blowjob,” Yixing grinned at him, still hiccupping with laughter.

Yixing hopped off of Chanyeol with a small yelp as he growled.

“Oh, you are  _ so dead. _ ”

Yixing ran off, down the hall as Chanyeol struggled to get up, what, with the awkward way his pants were half down his legs and his hard-on still hard. He kicked off his pants as he shifted his briefs back up, chasing after Yixing with a purpose.

Chanyeol, unfortunately, was too late as he watched his bedroom door slam shut in his face with a loud bang, Yixing, still guffawing on the other side.

“Open the door, Xing,” Chanyeol growled once more.

“No,” Yixing said between gasping laughs. The sound of it made Chanyeol want to laugh as well. Thismight very well be the first time he’s heard him laugh so freely and genuinely.

Though he didn’t appreciate the reason he was laughing.

“Open this door  _ right now _ , Yixing,” Chanyeol banged on the door three times, the sound reverberating around the whole apartment.

There was no sound behind the door beyond that of Yixing’s gasping laugh. Chanyeol rolled his eyes as he tried to calm himself down. He was embarrassed and pissed, yes, but most of all, the uncomfortable feeling of his neglected cock still hard in his underwear rose above all else.

He stomped to the kitchen, grabbed a bottle of cold water from the fridge and drank it all in one go. If he had any alcohol in his apartment, he would have drunk that too. After that, he stomped back to the living room, grabbed his jeans from the floor with a sigh as an idea formed in his head.

It was a typical route of revenge and Yixing will be expecting it, but still it was revenge.

So Chanyeol walked back to the room and forced his tone and voice to be tired, exhausted. Honestly, he didn’t even have to pretend that much. Yixing was silent behind the door now, no doubt listening for Chanyeol’s whereabouts.

“Yixing, can you  _ please _ open the door now. I just want to take a very cold shower,” Chanyeol almost whined.

Even to Chanyeol’s ears he sounded exasperated, he really did need a cold shower.

Their relationship or feelings for each other – or whatever one would call whatever was going on between them now that one had given the other a  _ blowjob _ – was fairly rare, and if Chanyeol’s significant other had been using the tone Chanyeol was using with Yixing now, he’d feel just a bit nervous about his next move.

“Do you promise not to attack me?” Yixing asked, his voice muffled by the door between them.

Chanyeol tried to keep the growing grin from his voice, instead, lacing it with disappointment and a bit of sadness he wished Yixing would buy.

A rush of satisfaction and relief filled him (not where he needed it the most), when Yixing cracked the door open just enough for him to peek through the side. The small opening was enough for Chanyeol as he pushed the door open, grabbing Yixing by the waist before spinning him around and slamming him against the door, shutting them inside.

It was dark inside the room, the turned on lights from the bathroom the only glow illuminating their faces and bodies pressed together. They stared at each other, once more feeling the electricity and the tension despite the shit Yixing had done.

Chanyeol pressed his lips against Yixing’s hastily, causing the latter to moan in surprise, the sound making Chanyeol twitch in his boxers.

The feeling reminded Chanyeol why he had forced himself in the room in the first place. He cursed the effect Yixing’s soft lips had on him as he grabbed both Yixing’s wrists and raised over his head, pressing it hard against the door behind him and holding it there with one hand.

A satisfied smirk stretched across Chanyeol’s lips as he met Yixing’s cautious gaze when the broke apart.

“Are you going to apologize?” Chanyeol asked, pressing feather-light kisses against his partner’s jaw. Yixing squirmed, moving his head to the side, unknowingly giving Chanyeol access to his target.

“You asked for a blowjob, I gave it,” Yixing replied breathily, his chest rising and falling unevenly. “It’s not my fault it wasn’t the type of blowjob you wanted.”

“Oh, it’s my fault now, is it?”

Yixing groaned much to Chanyeol’s delight when he nibbled and licked his ear.

“Yes.”

Chanyeol let out a dry laugh.

“Wrong answer, darling.”

Chanyeol blew lightly on Yixing’s exposed neck making him tense once more and squirm away but Chanyeol wasn’t going to let him off so easily after what he had done. He stuck out his tongue and flattened it against the column of Yixing’s neck, relishing in the sound of Yixing’s mewl as it made contact to his sensitive skin.

Chanyeol licked across Yixing’s throat, planting a soft kiss against his Adam’s apple as it bobbed. Yixing almost thrashed against him, his leg brushing against Chanyeol’s crotch. The slight friction made Chanyeol sink his teeth unto the skin lightly as Yixing jerked against him, breathless.

He took a step backward, letting his grip on Yixing’s wrists go, laughing when he stumbled forward, his knees weak. Yixing lay his burning palm against own burning, Chanyeol’s sweaty chest to steady himself.

“I’m sorry,” Chanyeol chuckled, throwing an arm around his waist to hold him steady. “But you deserved that.”

“I get to shower first, asshole,” Yixing glared at him, trying and failing to give him a disgusted look. “I need to wash your dirty saliva off my neck.”

Chanyeol pouted.

“Why do  _ you _ get to shower first?  _ I’m _ the one who has a hard-on that needs to be taken care of,” Chanyeol said with a pointed look downward.

Yixing only walked away, stripping his shirt off on the way and tossing it over to his hamper of dirty clothes.

“You could always join me,” Yixing smirked over his shoulder at Chanyeol. The offer was very tempting but to be very honest, Chanyeol just wanted to clean himself off and then go to sleep.

“I think I’ll pass. I don’t need any more of your ‘blowjobs’, thank you very much.”

Yixing barked out a laugh, walking into the bathroom and shutting the door behind him but not locking it.

“Would you  _ please  _ stop laughing,” Chanyeol groaned, his voice slightly muffled by the pillow pressing against the half of his face. “I can feel you shaking and I can’t sleep.”

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry,” Yixing whispered into the night as he cuddled deeper into Chanyeol’s arms. Chanyeol, unconsciously wrapped his arms around Yixing only a bit tighter.

“But you have to admit, what I did was pretty funny,” Yixing snickered.

Chanyeol groaned again in exasperation, lifting his hand under one hand to look down at Yixing properly. Yixing was grinning up at him, giddy and happier than Chanyeol had ever seen him. Chanyeol had been ready to give him an “ _ are-you-serious _ ” look but proceeded to melt when he saw Yixing smiling up at him like that.

Chanyeol rolled his eyes before plopping back down on the bed and covering his face with an arm, the other arm still around Yixing’s waist. He chuckled and shook his head.

“What have I gotten myself into?” He muttered to himself. He felt Yixing shift beside him, lifting himself up to rest his upper body against Chanyeol’s chest, their legs intertwining beneath the blankets.

Chanyeol removed the arm covering his face to see Yixing with his chin resting on the arms he had crossed over Chanyeol’s chest, watching him with this small smile on his face. Their eyes met in the dim glow of the moonlight coming through the windows.

Chanyeol raised a questioning eyebrow at Yixing. Yixing only shook his head and smiled bigger, closing his eyes and settling himself down comfortably on Chanyeol’s chest.

The sight of him there, infinitely closer than the first time he had slept over all those days ago, made Chanyeol’s heart clench with glee. He smiled to himself, happy beyond belief, as he raised a hand to run through Yixing’s soft locks, sighing deeply.

He closed his eyes and fell asleep with the warmth of Yixing surrounding him.

 

“You two did it last night, didn’t you?” Baekhyun wiggled his eyebrows at the both of them as he lowered his cup of coffee back down on the counter.

It was late in the afternoon when Baekhyun decided to visit, bringing his homework with him to work on. Unsurprisingly, he spent most of his time chatting them up instead of actually  _ doing _ his homework.

Yixing and Chanyeol exchanged looks and small smiles.

_ They had woken up, tangled around each other. Chanyeol had been the first to wake up, smiling warmly at the sight of Yixing sleeping so soundly against him. The sunlight coming from the window hit Yixing’s bare torso at such an angle that he looked like he was glowing. Chanyeol must have spent 15 minutes on staring at Yixing and running his hands through his hair the way he had done last night as he was falling asleep. _

_ A few minutes later, Yixing had begun to stir, blinking blearily at Chanyeol before closing his eyes once more, enjoying the feel of Chanyeol’s fingers on his hair. _

_ “Good morning,” Chanyeol had croaked out. Yixing had smiled, his eyes still closed. _

_ “Good morning.” _

“Are you going to answer my question or are you going to keep staring at each other.”

Baekhyun’s slightly annoyed voice shook Chanyeol away from the memory. He broke his gaze with Yixing to look at Baekhyun, who was looking between them, playfully, looking disgusted.

“No, we did not have sex yesterday, Baekhyun,” Chanyeol rolled his eyes. “And even if we had, what makes you think I’d kiss and tell.”

“Freshman year, college, we were at this party and you were drunk off your ass and this one cute guy kissed you because of a pretty wild game of spin the bottle. You wouldn’t stop bragging about it for a week,” Baekhyun stated.

Chanyeol’s face flamed with embarrassment as Yixing guffawed beside him.

“Let the boy live, Baekhyun,” Minseok said as he passed by, dropping off a tray of used mugs and glasses on the counter. Yixing moved to take it from him and bring it to the kitchen where one of Chanyeol’s part-time workers washed the dishes.

“We don’t need a recount of all  _ your  _ freshman-year horror stories,” Minseok smirked at Baekhyun.

Baekhyun pouted at the older boy, looking like a child put off from his fun. He turned away from Minseok with a harrumph, focusing once more on Chanyeol.

“So what  _ did _ happen last night?” Baekhyun wiggled his eyebrows at Chanyeol, a sly grin on his face.

“It seriously isn’t your business, Baek,” Chanyeol tried to contain his blush.

Everytime he thought about how he and Yixing had made-out on the couch, he’d grow so flustered he’d stop what he was doing and just cover his face with a palm – moreover, he had been the one who had initiated the kiss.

But then he’d remember how Yixing had teased him and he’d get so frustrated he wanted to punch a wall. Yixing had been so close,  _ so close _ –

Chanyeol shook his head and took a deep breath and noticed that both Minseok and Baekhyun were watching him with knowing grins on their faces, as if they knew exactly he was thinking about.

Chanyeol blushed harder, turning away and busying himself with his cash register. “Oh, shut up.”

“We weren’t even saying anything,” Minseok said with faux innocence, looking over his shoulder when a customer arrived. He moved quickly to accommodate and greet them

“Besides, we didn’t have to say anything. We could see everything written on your face,” Baekhyun snickered, finally, turning his attention back to his homework, splayed over the counter. And a comfortable silence fell between them as Chanyeol continued with his work.

Nothing seemed to have changed. The coffee shop was doing well as usual. His friends were always there, supporting them in their own weird ways. The smile he had offered the lady who had approached to place her order was more for himself than for her.

Yixing finally emerged from the kitchen, going over to help him as they made drinks and took orders, throwing a smile know and then and brushing his knuckles against his as he passed by.

Nothing seemed to have changed but Chanyeol was happier than he had been in weeks.

A week or so later, Chanyeol sat in front of the TV, Yixing settled comfortably beside him, as they munched on their respective bowls of cereal.

It was a Sunday and he always opened 2 hours later than he usually did any other day. The past weeks Yixing had lived with him, he’d been very grateful for the extra time they had just to relax and do nothing for the whole morning.

They watched in silence – up until Yixing’s phone began ringing.

It was usually one of his friends, two of which Chanyeol had yet to meet, calling to ask how he was doing or if he wanted to go out to clubs or bars with them. Yixing had denied all their invitations, claiming that he had wanted to lay low and avoid his parents.

But these past few days Chanyeol noticed that Yixing was a lot more anxious and he’d begun to ignore some of his calls again.

Chanyeol cleared his throat as Yixing pretended not to hear his phone ringing. He glanced at it once and saw the Caller ID.

It was Kris.

“He’s been trying to call you since yesterday, Xing,” Chanyeol said slowly, trying not to seem too forceful.

“He knows where I am, if it was important he could always come over,” Yixing said coldly. He glanced over to him and noticed the pleading eyes and pout on his face. Yixing scrunched his face up in return before sighing in defeat.

“If this is bad news and it breaks this happy bubble around us then it’s totally your fault,” Yixing muttered.

_ Having our happy bubble break is better than watching you try to run away from your problems,  _ Chanyeol thought.

“Isn’t it always,” Chanyeol joked, jerking his head in the direction of the phone as he turned the volume of the TV down.

Yixing sighed once more before leaning forward and answering the call, putting it on speaker mode so that Chanyeol could hear. He was flattered, to say the least, that Yixing trusted him enough to let him listen in on what should have been a private call.

Chanyeol only hoped they didn’t start speaking in Mandarin.

“Yixing?” Kris slightly familiar voice came from the phone. “ _ Finally _ .”

He sounded so relieved to have finally been able to contact Yixing that Chanyeol gave Yixing a look that said “told you so”.

Yixing just stuck out his tongue in response.

“I know you asked us to buy you more time,” Kris began, his tone both urgent and apologetic. “But your parents are literally all up on our asses, trying to get us to tell where you are. Tao almost had a breakdown yesterday when your mother cornered him.”

The frown and distaste on Yixing’s face was an unfamiliar sight for Chanyeol.

“And my father?” His tone and expression was cold.

“I wouldn’t be surprised if he got the police involved in the next three days.”

Yixing heaved a deep sigh. “They’ve always been overdramatic. Tell Tao that I’m sorry and that I’ll make it up to him.”

“And your parents?” Kris asked cautiously.

Yixing fell silent, hesitating to give an answer as he sighed again, his brows furrowing. Chanyeol put his bowl down on the coffee table, took Yixing’s bowl from his hands and put it down beside his. Yixing watched him curiously, his head cocked to the side.

Chanyeol took both of his hands in his, intertwining their fingers together and giving them a light squeeze. Yixing studied their hands and Chanyeol could see that the distress in Yixing’s eyes seemed to be fading away little by little.

Chanyeol gave him Yixing an encouraging smile when he looked up and Yixing gave him a tight-lipped smile in return.

“Yixing?” Kris asked, worry lacing his tone. “Hello?”

“Tell them – Tell them to stop acting like they care and that I’ll see them on my birthday,” Yixing said.

The mention of Yixing’s birthday piqued Chanyeol’s interest and he raised his eyebrows questioningly.

Yixing shrugged.

“Are you sure?” Kris confirmed, sounding a bit relieved now.

“Yeah. You guys are going as well, right?”

“We wouldn’t miss it for the world, Lay. The boys have missed you. They’ve done everything short of torturing me to get me to tell them where you were staying,” Kris chuckled on the other end of the line.

Yixing laughed lightly.

“Anyway, I’m sorry for asking you to come home so early. If the situation were different, I would’ve even helped you run away.”

“I know. Thank you, Yifan.”

“Anytime.”

And with that the call ended, leaving Chanyeol and Yixing in silence, the TV playing softly in the background.

Yixing turned toward him, twisting his body so they were face to face. He lifted their intertwined hands between them and looked at Chanyeol as if he had grown a second head.

“What?” Chanyeol asked defensively. “You looked stressed out and I didn’t know how to comfort you.”

Yixing stared at him with this intrigued expression on his face, his eyebrows furrowed and lips slightly parted before laughing, shaking his head.

Chanyeol felt Yixing let go of his hands, only for him to put them on Chanyeol’s cheeks to pull him in for a kiss. A short, sweet peck that made Chanyeol grin.

“You are adorable,” he giggled out as he pulled away.

Yixing grabbed their bowls from the coffee table and handed Chanyeol his.

They ate face to face, their cereal had turned soggy but it was edible enough that they finished it without any complaints.

“So,” Chanyeol began as he stood up, bringing his now empty bowl with him. “Why did you never tell me about your birthday?”

“I’m actually surprised it never came up,” Yixing stood with him and they walked the short distance to the kitchen sink together.

“When is it?” Chanyeol pressed. Yixing had this habit of avoiding answering questions. Chanyeol wasn’t sure if he really didn’t want to answer or if he just doesn’t notice that he usually diverts the conversation away from the question.

“Next week. October 7 th .”

“Good thing it came up then,” Chanyeol grinned cheekily. “I still have some time to buy you a gift.”

Yixing stood on his tippy toes and pecked Chanyeol’s cheek.

“You don’t have to get me anything. You are enough for me,” Yixing said, moving to wash the dishes.

Chanyeol frowned, leaning on the kitchen counter, watching Yixing from behind.

“Isn’t there anything you want?” Chanyeol asked. “It’s the first birthday I get to spend with you, call me corny or sappy and shit, but I want it to be special.”

Yixing hummed. “Special? Well we could always –“

“I’m going to stop you right there,” Chanyeol butted in. “I’m still not over that ‘blowjob’ you gave me.”

Yixing laughed. “You’ve had plenty of chances to ask me for one whenever we’ve made-out the whole week we’ve been ‘together’, Chanyeol.”

“Frankly, I’m too scared to ask you for anything sexual right now.”

This time when Yixing laughed, Chanyeol joined him.

“Okay, okay, but in all seriousness,” Yixing said when he finally calmed down. “There is something I want.”

Chanyeol cocked his head to the side in curiosity.

He wrung his hands over the sink for a few seconds before grabbing the hand towel on the side and wiping his hands off. Yixing turned to look at him, a hesitant smile on his face.

“My parents always throw this big party on my birthday. They use it as an excuse to invite potential business partners and other boring people. It’s usually tolerable with Kris and the others but maybe if you came with me, it might actually be fun.”

Chanyeol pretended to think about it, stepping closer to Yixing and wrapping his arms loosely around his Yixing’s waist.

He smiled down at him cheekily.

“Is that really all you want for your birthday?”

Yixing looked up at him, mirroring his smile.

“I had no idea my boyfriend would be so easy to please,” Chanyeol teased.

“Is that a yes?”

“If you agree to go out on a date with me the day after.”

Yixing hummed, swaying them side to side.

“But who’ll watch the shop?”

“There’s this one part-timer that seems to need a bit of extra cash for this semester and is asking if I could let him work the whole day on some days.”

Yixing pursed lips and pretended to think about it. Chanyeol let out a breathy laugh before cupping Yixing’s cheek with a hand and bringing their lips together.

Chanyeol felt Yixing smile into the kiss, his hold on the hem of Chanyeol’s t-shirt tightening. Yixing tilted his head to deepen the kiss, enough to make Chanyeol’s toes curl.

They broke apart, out of breath and flushed, like they always were whenever their lips touched.

Chanyeol pressed his forehead against Yixing’s after pulling away. Yixing laughed breathily.

“You drive a hard bargain,” He said, smiling and showing off his dimple. “But I accept. A date for a date.”

Two days before Yixing’s big birthday party, Chanyeol stood in his living room, having one of the biggest crises of his life as his friends sat around him, amused.

“Why can’t you just  _ rent _ one if you don’t want to buy a tux, Yeollie? You’re making this into such a big deal. I honestly just wanted to watch a movie tonight,” Jongdae whined.

“We all know that tuxes are expensive and you don’t have anything to wear but you sound like a teenage girl who can’t decide on what to wear on her first date. Just sit down and we’ll talk about this later. Preferably when the movie’s down and I’m probably too sleepy to understand a word you’ll be saying,” Sehun added, a smirk playing around his lips.

Chanyeol pouted as he sat back down on the floor. Sehun, Jongin, Baekhyun and Kyungsoo occupied the couch while Jongdae and Minseok squeezed themselves together on the armchair.

It was cramped but they had gotten used to having Movie nights at least twice a month in Chanyeol’s tiny apartment. Blankets, popcorn and beer were passed all around before they had even decided on a movie to watch.

“When is Yixing coming home?” Baekhyun asked with a mouth full of popcorn. “He’s been out all day, hasn’t he?”

“I don’t know. He texted me maybe an hour ago telling me that he’ll try to be home before we started,” Chanyeol said, grabbing his phone from the table and checking for recent messages.

Yixing had left that morning with a peck on Chanyeol’s lips, saying he had a few things to do and that his friends were too impatient to wait two more days to see him. Chanyeol had spent the day working in the café feeling a bit weird without Yixing there beside him.

Chanyeol was so used to him always being there these past weeks that a day without him had left Chanyeol’s world was shifted just a bit out of its axis.

“Let’s wait for another 10 minutes then,” Jongin suggested. “It’s still a bit early anyway and none of us have any morning classes tomorrow.”

“I have a project due tomorrow,” Baekhyun pouted, giving Kyungsoo by his side a pleading look. “Could you help me?”

“Baekhyun that was given a month ago, why haven’t you finished it?”

The judging look Kyungsoo gave Baekhyun made Baekhyun shrink back under his covers.

“Please,” Baekhyun started giving Kyungsoo a begging, puppy-dog look to which Kyungsoo sighed and rolled his eyes.

“I’ll think about it,” Kyungsoo sighed before getting smothered by Baekhyun as he pounced to hug him just as the door opened.

All of them turned away from the amusing scene to see Yixing walk in with a bag of groceries in one hand and a very expensive looking box in the other. As he walked in, he paused in momentary confusion at the sight of so many people in a living room that was usually empty.

A warm smile stretched across his face as he remembered what was happening, Chanyeol standing up to help him with his bags.

“Hi, guys,” he greeted, giving the groceries over to Chanyeol to put away in the kitchen.

The others smiled and greeted with a chorus of hellos and ‘did-you-buy-anything-to-eat’s.

“You haven’t started the movie?” Chanyeol heard Yixing ask as he put the bag of groceries down on the counter, deciding to put them away to their proper places later.

“We were waiting for you,” Chanyeol said, walking over to the light switch and turning off the light in the living room, leaving them all bathed only in the soft glow of the TV before sitting on the carpeted floor by Baekhyun’s legs and pulling Yixing down with him.

Yixing huffed out a laugh as he landed on Chanyeol’s lap, setting aside the box on the coffee table and leaning back comfortably on Chanyeol’s chest. Chanyeol smiled as he rested his chin on Yixing’s shoulder.

Jongdae proceeded to then play the movie, dragging everyone’s attention toward the movie playing.

“Did you have fun?” Chanyeol asked Yixing in a low whisper so as to not bother the others.

Yixing shrugged, moving off of Chanyeol’s lap and instead spreading his legs and sitting between them, grabbing a blanket and wrapping it around the both of them.

“It was okay,” Yixing whispered back. “I got you something to wear to the party, I’ll show you later.” He jerked his head toward the box now sitting on the coffee table.

Chanyeol pouted as Yixing settled against him.

“I hope it wasn’t expensive,” Chanyeol whispered, wrapping his arms around Yixing middle under the blankets.

“Chanyeol, if you don’t shut up and watch I will kick you,” Kyungsoo muttered under his breath.

“Sorry,” Chanyeol and Yixing whispered at the same time, the others snickering.

Yixing patted his thigh comfortingly before pouring all his focus on the movie, unwilling to be kicked by Kyungsoo.

“Don’t worry, love. It wasn’t.”

It was definitely expensive.

Chanyeol thought to himself as he opened the box of shoes Yixing had bought him. They were black and sleek and shiny and very, very expensive.

“Are you trying to tell me that my own shoes aren’t fancy enough for this event?” Chanyeol asked Yixing who was busy preparing in the open bathroom. Chanyeol could hear the rustle of his suit as he fixed his hair in front of the mirror.

Meanwhile, Chanyeol had donned a suit of his own while Yixing was busy.

He had taken him shopping for one yesterday, asking Junmyeon to watch the coffee shop for a few hours. And though Chanyeol had appreciated the rather spontaneous date, he had no idea that shopping for just one suit could be so tiring.

At some point, Kris had appeared to help, giving his own expert opinion on what Chanyeol looked good in and what colors would fit him best.

And now Chanyeol stood in his bedroom, more dressed up than he had been in  _ years _ . He hadn’t put on the jacket yet so he stood there in his perfectly lined pants and fancy buttoned up shirt, staring down at the very expensive shoes. 

“All you have are sneakers and running shoes, Yeol,” Yixing commented from the bathroom.

“And?”

Chanyeol laughed at the sound of Yixing’s sigh, slipping the shoes on before walking inside the bathroom where Yixing stood in front of the mirror, looking down on his arm where his fingers were struggling to clasp on his watch.

He looked handsome, regal. Like a prince he looked as he stood there in his own black suit, his hair up and his eyebrows furrowed as he looked down.

Chanyeol chuckled before approaching to help, taking the watch in his hands and setting it against Yixing’s wrist easily.

“You seem tense. Are you worried?” Chanyeol wondered out loud, making Yixing look at him. Chanyeol grinned at him, hoping that would ease  _ some _ of the worries in his heart.

Yixing smirked. “No.”

“That’s good,” Chanyeol pecked his lips and squeezed his hips, causing Yixing to yelp, before pushing him out of the bathroom. “Because if you’re worried then I’d get worried and then we’d both be a mess. Now, go, it’s my turn to fix up.”

Yixing left but not before giving him an appraising look.

“You look amazing in those pants,” He complimented, nodding to himself before a sly grin crept upon his lips. “But you’d look better with them off.”

Chanyeol’s blood boiled with want –  _ need. _

“I could say the same of you,” Chanyeol smirked. He had grown comfortable with Yixing’s little sexual jokes thrown here and there but he would always find himself hoping that Yixing would finally do at least one of the things he had suggested with his dirty mouth.

Yixing laughed before stepping out of the bathroom, leaving Chanyeol to do his thing.

Chanyeol looked at his reflection in the mirror, deciding within half a second to just slick his hair back. Grabbing the hair gel and comb out from the compartment behind the mirror he set to work.

He was done within a few minutes, his hair pushed back enough to his liking. He hadn’t had the time nor the reason to look this good since he had stopped performing in clubs. Looking at himself, he kinda missed that image of him.

He exited the bathroom and found his bedroom empty. He sprayed a little bit of his favorite cologne on before grabbing his suit jacket, car keys and bow tie.

He stumbled out into the hall and into the living room, adjusting his new shoes around the ankles, hopping slightly on one foot. He looked up to find Yixing sitting on the couch, staring at him in surprise, blinking once – twice.

Chanyeol stood up straight and cocked his head to the side in confusion.

“Is something wrong?” He asked as Yixing stood and prowled toward him slowly, the expression on his face almost predatory as he focused only him. Chanyeol caught on a few seconds before Yixing pressed his lips against his harshly.

“You look too fucking good,” Yixing mumbled into the kiss. Chanyeol smirked proudly against his lips. Yixing, probably frustrated at him for having the gall to smirk at his frustration, bit his bottom lip then ran his tongue across it.

“Maybe we should just stay home tonight,” Yixing said as he pulled away, their foreheads pressed together, their breaths mixing between them.

Chanyeol seriously considered it. But he wouldn’t let Yixing run anymore.

“No can do, handsome. I did not close the shop early for you to back out,” Chanyeol laughed lightly, pushing Yixing away, his hands on his shoulders. He had a cute pout on his face and Chanyeol mirrored him, making Yixing smile.

He took a deep breath before throwing Chanyeol a playful glare, looking him up and down.

“Who taught you to dress like that? You look  _ so  _ hot, it hurts to just stand here and not push you up against the wall,” Yixing scolded.

“Now, you know how  _ I  _ feel every time single time I look at you.”

Chanyeol had drived.

The party was being held in one of the most prestigious restaurants in the whole country.

Figures.

Yixing sat beside him, wearing a mask Chanyeol didn’t recognize and he wondered if that was what Yixing did before he had to meet with anyone he didn’t want to.

He might’ve finally noticed that Chanyeol kept glancing at him worriedly because he turned to him and his expression softened.

“I’m sorry,” He murmured, sighing for probably the thousandth time that day. “It’s been more than two weeks since I’ve seen them – probably the happiest weeks of my entire life. I’m just not so  _ keen  _ on seeing them again.”

Chanyeol grabbed the hand Yixing had left resting on Chanyeol’s thigh as he drove and intertwined their fingers. He brought up their hands to his lips and pressed a kiss to Yixing’s the back of his hand to try and comfort him, his eyes never leaving the road.

“Don’t worry, babe. I’ll protect you,” Chanyeol said jokingly, putting his hand back down.

Yixing groaned and scrunched his face up in disgust.

“Despite the cheesiness of that line, I do hope you mean it. We’re leaving the moment they say one rude thing about  _ you _ .”

“Me?” Chanyeol met Yixing’s look with an incredulous one for a second. “I couldn’t care less what they have to say about me, Yixing.”

“I know that, but that doesn’t mean I’ll let them talk shit about you for the whole night.”

“Then I won’t let them talk shit about you too, no way.” Chanyeol glanced worriedly at Yixing who had turned away to stare out the window.

“Don’t attract attention to yourself by defending me, Chanyeol, let them say what they want, I’m used to it.”

“I’d already be attracting attention just by being with you, sweetheart.”

Indeed, every eye was on them as they walked into the restaurant, crowded with paparazzi and rich people. The constant flash of cameras taking pictures made Chanyeol blink constantly as Yixing led him through the sea of people at the entrance.

“Look like the cocky, underground rapper you are,” Yixing whispered, pulling his own face into a stoic expression. The image of Lay, the CEO’s son.

Chanyeol straightened himself up and put a smirk on his face, the one he used to put on before going on stage. Now, he merely used it to get under Yixing’s skin.

He straightened the lapels of his suit and rolled his neck, over exaggerating his role to make Yixing smile. After his ordeal in front of the dozens of cameras he looked toward Yixing with his signature smile.

“Better,” Yixing smirked back, genuine amusement shining in his eyes. “You look hot, babe.”

“Thanks.”

Together they entered the venue, side by side, almost too close to be considered normal.

There was an impressive amount of people mingling around, a mix of people in fancy dresses and suits and barista uniforms.

And Chanyeol was hit with the realization that if this were any other time and he had not met (and probably fallen in love with) Yixing he would have been a part of the latter crowd and not wearing one of the fancier suits.

Yixing nodded to the bodyguard standing to the side after he had whispered something in his ear.

“Come on,” Yixing said, grabbing Chanyeol’s wrist. “Let’s avoid my parents as long as we can.”

After a few minutes of wandering around and dodging people Yixing had no interest in talking to, they finally bumped one of Yixing’s friends – well, he bumped into them.

“Lay!” The man who had quite literally blurred past Chanyeol to tackle Yixing from the back almost squealed. Yixing stumbled forward and Chanyeol was quick to steady him with a tight grip on his arm.

“I didn’t think you’d actually come,” another man approached, his hands in his pockets as he walked toward them leisurely, a kind smile on his face.

One would think that Chanyeol would be used to seeing pretty faces after being friends with Jongin and Sehun, and of course waking up to Yixing’s every day, but the man looked prettier than probably most of the women in the room.

“It is my birthday after all,” Yixing said after brushing himself of and scolding the other man who had practically ran over to them. “It would be rather weird if I missed it, don’t you think?”

A comfortable smile had replaced the worried and stoic expression on Yixing’s face which made Chanyeol grin in relief unconsciously.

His smile must’ve been too bright because all three handsome men turned to look at him.

“Hello,” he greeted almost shyly, inwardly face-palming himself. “I’m Chanyeol.”

“ _ You’re _ Chanyeol?” The overly excited man almost hopped over to him, an enthusiastic grin on his face as he took Chanyeol’s hand for a handshake. “I thought Yixing would never introduce us. I’m Tao.”

Chanyeol nodded in understanding, making a small “Ah” noise as he recognized the name and connected the dots.

“If you’re Tao,” Chanyeol glanced over to the man with the eyes that reminded him of a doe’s, “Then you must be Luhan.”

Luhan’s eyebrows rose in pleasant surprise, his wide eyes widening further.

“The one and only,” he grinned at Chanyeol.

“I love what you’re wearing,” Tao exclaimed, stepping back to get a better look at him. “It really, really suits you.”

“Of course it does, I picked it out for him,” a familiar voice said from behind him. Chanyeol looked over his shoulder to see Kris, holding two glasses of what seemed to be champagne, looking as handsome as ever.

“Happy Birthday, Xing,” He smiled as he handed Yixing one of the glasses. Yixing took it with a gracious nod of his head.

“Happy Birthday!” Tao said, wrapping his arms around Yixing, jostling the hand that held the glass. Yixing laughed, and patted Tao’s back.

Chanyeol had greeted Yixing probably 7 times that morning, three times as they were waking up, mumbled and said into lazy kisses, twice when he was cooking pancakes and when he had served it to him, and once when Chanyeol had pushed him against a wall and forced kisses down his neck as Yixing squirmed.

“Thank you,” he chuckled. “Now, please let go of me before Chanyeol gets the wrong idea.”

Tao flew back, apologizing to Chanyeol profusely.

“It’s fine!” Chanyeol tried to say. “Yixing was just kidding; you can hug him for as long as you want.”

Chanyeol threw Yixing a half-hearted glare to which he responded to by making a face. They made small talk about the day, the weather, Tao and Kris’s new modeling gigs, Luhan’s business with his father, Chanyeol’s shop, Chanyeol’s suit, Chanyeol and Yixing’s relationship.

Basically they talked a lot about Chanyeol, enough that he was starting to feel just a bit uncomfortable. They were really kind with their questions and they weren’t snobs about his occupation but Chanyeol wasn’t used to being the center of attention off the stage.

“You should come over to the coffee shop sometime,” Chanyeol suggested. “I’ll give you free cookies.”

“You never gave  _ me _ free cookies,” Yixing pouted.

“Xing, you eat Kyungsoo’s first batch every morning.”

The three men watched them, amused but mostly happy and proud to see their friend look this happy.

For almost an hour, they talked and had fun, joked and got to know each other. Chanyeol learned that Tao was probably just as sensitive as Baekhyun was and that Kris, despite the cool and cold appearance, had a great sense of humor and would usually make him Chanyeol laugh at the expense of his own image. Luhan, though looking pretty and proper, was actually great at sports and had his own dreams of becoming an actor.

Chanyeol was genuinely having a fun night but more so, he was happy to see Yixing enjoying himself despite being worried about going to this party for a week.

But Yixing’s happiness was cut short as he noticed something (or someone) over Chanyeol’s shoulder. Chanyeol glanced behind him to see, amongst all the other people drinking and having a good time (however rich people had a good time in social events like this), to see a woman – Yixing’s mother – rushing over to them in large, sweeping strides; a relieved smile stretching across her face as she spotted Yixing.

Chanyeol turned back to look at Yixing, only to see him looking at him, conflicted and worried. Chanyeol gave him a reassuring smile. Yixing blinked before his eyes softened and he smiled back.

“Yixing!” His mother exclaimed, sweeping him into her arms when she got close enough. “Where did you run off to now, darling? We couldn’t find you anywhere. And your  _ friends _ ,” she threw a sharp glare in Tao and Kris’s direction, “Refused to tell us where you were.”

Tao and Kris flinched and looked away while Luhan frowned. Chanyeol, mercifully hadn’t been noticed yet despite his towering figure.

“Even they didn’t know, Mother,” Yixing said, his voice clipped at the edges. “I knew you’d force them to tell you.”

If Yixing’s mother heard the hostility in Yixing’s voice, she didn’t show instead she started dragging him away, an arm around his shoulder.

“Well, wherever did you go?”

Chanyeol and the others followed silently, unwilling to let Yixing face his father by himself.

But a sharp glance over his shoulder directed to Kris made his friends stop. Kris grabbed Chanyeol’s wrist to pull him to a stop as well.

“He doesn’t want his father to see you,” Kris muttered. “Not yet.”

“Why not?” Chanyeol frowned. “I’ve told him again and again that I don’t care what his parents, or any of the other people here, think of me.”

“Yixing’s father is a manipulative snake, as are most of the people in this restaurant are, he deals with his son like he does with his business deals. He finds and uses the person’s weakness and uses it against them to get what they want,” Luhan smirked without amusement, as if disgusted by his own career’s nature.

“And? What does that have to do with me?”

“You’re Yixing’s strength in attending today, yes,” Kris started to explain.

“But you’re also his greatest weakness,” Tao finished, Kris and Luhan nodding in agreement.

“He fears that if his father figured who you were to him, he’d use that fact to get under his skin. You’re relationship, to him, is something he refuses to lose like all the other things he’s lost because of his father,” Kris said, looking over to where Yixing had been dragged by his mother.

Chanyeol felt his blood boil in anger. How many things had Yixing been forced to let go because of his father? How many times had he tried and failed to hold on to things he wanted? How many times had he walked into cafes crying and heartbroken because he always needed to change who he was just for some stupid role his father’s society wanted him to be.

“And you got all that just from one look?” Chanyeol asked through gritted teeth, trying not to look like he was seething as he watched Yixing put on that fake mask of confidence as he talked to his father.

“A few days ago, when the four of us had gone out, he didn’t admit it outright but we could see how much you meant to him by the way his eyes would light up just a bit at the mention of your name,” Luhan smiled sadly at Chanyeol .

“And he talks about music and his future much more these days,” Tao added. “We haven’t seen him look so happy in such a long time.”

Chanyeol wasn’t sure how to react to the revelation that he mattered to Yixing just as much as Yixing did to him.

They stood there keeping up small talk while keeping one eye on Yixing who seemed to be growing bored by the minute. More than once, he had glanced at Chanyeol with a helpless look on his face. Chanyeol would grin or make funny faces to keep him entertained. Yixing would then return to whatever conversation he was having, a pretty little smile on his face.

For dinner, when everyone was asked to sit wherever they wanted as waiters and waitresses served food, Chanyeol and the others wandered over to an unoccupied table.

Identical grins spread across the four’s faces when Yixing wandered back to them, an exhausted but relatively calm smile on his face. Chanyeol had been laughing at something Kris had said when Yixing sat down beside him, putting a hand over his thigh and squeezing it. As if to remind him who he had come here with.

The mere possessiveness in the small action made Chanyeol want to give all those who had turned to watch their table something to talk about.

They ate their dinners peacefully, throwing jokes and comments here and there while they were at it. The peace lasted all of 15 minutes before Yixing’s father decided to approach them.

“Shit,” Yixing swore under his breath before standing and giving his father a smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes.

His father had merely bowed in response, looking around the table and giving each a reproachful once-over. His eyes stayed on Chanyeol the longest.

“Do you think it’s too late to hide him in the restroom,” Chanyeol heard Tao whisper.

“Forgive me,” the man began. “But I’m afraid I haven’t had the pleasure to meet you, Mr - ?”

Chanyeol stood in haste and bowed at the waist before smiling nervously and introducing himself.

“Park Chanyeol, sir.”

“Mr. Park. This is the first time I’m seeing you in one of our events. The other three are painfully familiar to me but you, I’m afraid, are a new face.”

Chanyeol knew, somewhere deep inside his mind, that Mr. Zhang was starting to suspect what his relationship to his son was.

“Yes, sir. I only met Yixing about a month ago at the café I run.”

Yixing tensed as his father sneered.

“You run a café?”

Chanyeol wasn’t the least bit fazed, even going so far as to grin cheekily. Damn right he was going to flaunt the fact that he owned a coffee shop.

“Yes, sir,” Chanyeol answered.

Mr. Zhang nodded, looking unimpressed.

“At least that’ll earn you  _ some _ money. Unlike the career my son,” a sharp glance over to Yixing, “wants to pursue.”

Yixing rolled his eyes and proceeded to take a seat, Chanyeol following suit.

“We’re not having this argument here, Father,” Yixing said coldly. The other four, wisely stayed silent.

“Oh? And when are we going to talk about this once and for all, Yixing? You’re turning 25 today, when will you let that useless dream of yours go? It’s not going to get you anywhere.”

Yixing’s father pulled out the vacant chair beside his son and settled himself on it, narrowing his eyes at his son. Yixing stared coldly back.

“I don’t want the company,” Yixing said, breaking their gaze and looking away.

“No, you only  _ want  _ to be able to sing and perform and do music,” his father rolled his eyes at him. “Why can’t you see that you’re being selfish, Yixing? You may not want the company but it needs you.”

“No, it doesn’t. You fucking know it doesn’t. I couldn’t care less what  _ it  _ needs.”

“Language,” Mr. Zhang snapped. Yixing fumed and Chanyeol yearned to put his arms around his waist and calm him down. Kris started fidgeting in his seat, exchanging panicked glances with Tao. Luhan was full-out glaring holes into Mr. Zhang’s head.

“First, you refuse to let this  _ fantasy _ of yours go. Then, before disappearing for a month, you reveal that you’re  _ gay _ . Yixing will you get your head out of the clouds? I haven’t even listened to your music and I know it isn’t good. The only reason you get through the first round of your auditions is because you’re already known and they’d be fools to turn you away.”

“Why would they turn me away willingly when you could always pay them to do so,” Yixing spat.

“You haven’t even listened to his music and you already think it isn’t good?” Chanyeol suddenly piped in. Everyone at their table looked at him in surprise. He met Yixing’s pleading glance.

_ Shut up.  _ He said.

Chanyeol ignored him.

“I’m sorry, but isn’t that a bit unfair? To claim that his passion for music is bullshit when you haven’t even given him a chance to prove to you that he is worth something in the music industry?” Chanyeol couldn’t keep his face from scrunching up in distaste.

“Excuse me? And what would a  _ barista _ know of the music industry?” Mr. Zhang looked at him as if he was nothing but a pebble stuck on the lines of his shoes.

“I know far more than you would think, old man,” Chanyeol glared, losing control of his tongue. It had always irked Chanyeol whenever they had looked down on him even back when he still made an effort to produce music and rap. “I may no longer be a part of it any more but I used to and I was well on my way to the top when I decided to stop.”

“Because you couldn’t do it,” Mr. Zhang cut in. Chanyeol shot him a reproachful glare.

“Because I knew I could always do it later in my life and that I wanted to do more things – try more things –before I settled for my dream.”

“Is that why you’ve been keeping him with you, Yixing? Because he keeps feeding you these lies of dreams and aspirations?”

That and Chanyeol could make a mean cup of coffee.

“Chanyeol, shut up for now, thank you,” Yixing said.  _ Don’t give him more reason to hate you. _

“And I’m keeping him around, Father, because he is my friend and his opinion of me is far more important than yours will ever be.”

“From what I can see, he’s more than a friend,” Mr. Zhang raised an eyebrow. “This matter of your sexuality is actually one of the reasons I had come over here before you started picking a fight.”

Yixing rolled his eyes, trying really had to look nonchalant. “Whoever I do or do not fuck is none of your business, Father.”

“It’s my business if it affects the company and its reputation,” Mr.Zhang’s eyes flashed. “But I’ve thought about it this past month you’ve been away and I’ve done my research.”

He turned his gaze towards Luhan.

“And I’ve had a talk with Luhan’s father about the advantages of the two of you being in a relationship.”

Luhan looked absolutely revolted, not at the fact that he was being forced to a relationship with Yixing but just the fact that he was being forced into a relationship.

Yixing, who was already pale, lost all color in his cheeks as he stared at his father in horror before he began seething in rage, jumping to his feet.

They began attracting attention from surrounding tables, people turning around to see what the commotion was about.

“How dare you,” He hissed at his father. Mr. Zhang stood up as well and glared down at his son before throwing a sharp glance at Chanyeol as he too stood.

“What would a relationship with someone like  _ Park Chanyeol _ give you, Yixing?” His father spat at him. “I’m trying to help you here. What would the people think of you, being gay and picking someone like him, who’s only probably after your money, to stand by your side?”

“Enough,” Chanyeol snapped. Kris and the others slowly rose to their feet as people began to approach, looking around wildly. Yixing’s expression fell as what was happening sunk into him. It was exactly he had feared, just maybe 10 times worse.

“I don’t give a flying fuck about half the shit you’ve been saying about me this past half hour but you’re beginning to cross a line.”

“Chanyeol, that’s enough, let’s just go,” Yixing murmured. Chanyeol took a breath to keep throwing insults he, himself, knew was stupid but Kris held him back by grabbing his jacket by the fist and tugging him backwards.

“Just go, Chanyeol. They’re starting to stare,” Kris whispered. Yixing whirled around and walked away, pushing people out of his way. Chanyeol threw one last glare over to Yixing’s father, wanting to say so many more things he couldn’t.

He followed after Yixing, fuming in his wake.

“You had no right to make such arrangements with my father and he had no right to sell me off like some prized cattle,” Chanyeol heard Luhan hiss. Out of all of Yixing’s friends, Luhan was the only one who had any right to talk back to a CEO.

The next words thrown at each other faded away as Chanyeol chased after Yixing. The people around him parted away willingly, flinching under his glare.

He tried to tone it down when he reached the doors and threw them open, breathing heavily to control his anger. Thankfully, there weren’t as many cameras on him as there had been as they had arrived. There were a few loitering around but none paid him any heed – not when the CEO’s son was storming past them, his suit jacket off and his sleeves pushed up till his elbows.

Yixing looked up only once to check if Chanyeol was following. Their gazes met and Chanyeol raised an arm to let Yixing know where he was, offering him a small smile. Chanyeol was disappointed when he didn’t return it.

Yixing only nodded once before turning away and walking toward the direction of Chanyeol’s car. It took Chanyeol a few minutes to catch up and when he did, the paparazzi was gone –Yixing had probably told them off.

Chanyeol found him leaning on the door to the driver’s seat, staring at the empty street with a cold and detached look on his face.

“Hey,” Chanyeol said as he approached. “You okay?”

“I’m driving,” was the only thing Yixing said. Chanyeol frowned but dug around his pants’ pockets until he found his car keys. He handed them over without another word. Yixing turned off the alarms and unlocked the door, slipping inside.

Chanyeol followed suit, keeping silent.

Yixing started the engine without another word and started speeding down the road, where to, Chanyeol didn’t know.

Chanyeol wanted to ask Yixing again if he was alright but he didn’t want to push him just yet. One look at Yixing’s whitening knuckles gripped on the steering wheel and Chanyeol knew better than to pry.  

Instead, he put a comforting hand over his thigh. Squeezing it once, trying to convey his feelings through actions instead of words. Yixing’s tense form visibly relaxed against the touch as he released a shaky breath.

“I’m taking us to my apartment. Is that alright with you?” Yixing asked, glancing toward him only once before returning his gaze back to the road. Chanyeol nodded soundlessly.

There was a tension between them Chanyeol couldn’t pinpoint. It felt like he was holding his breath without even knowing it, unable to relax and talk to Yixing the way they had earlier that evening. Chanyeol, unusually, was at a loss for words and Yixing looked like he wasn’t inclined to talk any time soon and so they sat there in silence.

15 minutes or so later, Yixing finally parked his car in front of a tall building that towered over all the other buildings in the area. Without even stepping inside, Chanyeol knew it would probably be the most prestigious place he’d ever set foot in.

The doorman stationed by the door (obviously) opened the glass doors to them graciously, bowing at the waist at the sight of Yixing. Yixing merely nodded but Chanyeol smiled at the man as he passed.

There were a number of butlers and maids and receptionists bustling about, silently doing their jobs around the condominium. They all stood straighter and bowed when they walked passed, the receptionists greeting them kindly.

Chanyeol had wanted to take a look around but Yixing was practically jogging to his destination, taking long strides and not even bothering to look back and check if Chanyeol was following him.

He entered an elevator and Chanyeol rushed to reach it on time. By the this time, Chanyeol was getting a bit irked with how Yixing was acting but he tried not to show it – he understood why Yixing looked and acted distant.

Chanyeol wasn’t the least surprised when Yixing pressed the button with the highest number just below the letter ‘R’, which Chanyeol assumed to be the roof. Chanyeol let the fact that Yixing lived alone in a penthouse far above the city sink in.

The elevator ride was quick, Chanyeol barely felt it move. They stopped at Yixing’s floor and exited into a hallway with only one door at the end of it. Yixing walked over to it with a purpose in his stride. When he reached it, he inputted the code needed to open the door and walked in without a second thought.

Yixing, to Chanyeol’s surprise, held the door open for him. Chanyeol walked in and around him, allowing Yixing to close the door behind him.

Even with the lights turned off, the apartment was well lit by both the city below and the moon above. Yixing moved past him, straight to the living room and throwing his suit jacket over the arm of one of the couches and plopping down on another. 

“Hey, talk to me,” Chanyeol said, following him further into the place and into the living room. The furniture was inviting enough with its illusion of comfort but the whole apartment lacked the feeling of being a home. It was lonely and cold. “Are you okay?”

“No, why the fuck would I be okay?” Yixing snapped. He sat back on the couch and closed his eyes as Chanyeol walked over, stripping off his own jacket and chucking it to the side.

“The party wasn’t that bad,” Chanyeol sat on the low coffee table right in front of Yixing and tried to coax him into looking at him.

Yixing snorted. “Maybe to you, but to me that was about as bad as it could get.”

Chanyeol was just a bit thrown off with how he was acting, trying really hard not to let his temper get the best of him.

“That’s because you left without resolving anything, like you always do.”

Yixing opened his eyes and glared at Chanyeol with disgust before rising to his feet and walking away. Chanyeol hadn’t meant to say it so bluntly and instantly regretted it. He stood and followed Yixing to what seemed to be the kitchen.

Opening the lights as he passed, Yixing opened the fridge and stared at it, clenching and unclenching his jaw before slamming it back closed. Chanyeol flinched at the sound.

“I told you – I told you not to talk and bring attention to yourself,” Yixing hissed at him. Chanyeol looked at Yixing, confusion and hurt mixing in his eyes.

“Did you expect me to sit there and let him talk over you like that? Did you fucking expect me not to care when he fucking told you to break up with me?”

“Yes!” Yixing raised his voice, throwing his hands in the air before running them through his hair in frustration.

“That isn’t how this works, Yixing!” Chanyeol couldn’t stop himself from shouting back.

“And how is it supposed to work, Chanyeol?” Yixing demanded, whirling around to look at him. “You think you can defend my pride against my father?”

“Don’t you want me to?” Chanyeol growled back. “Isn’t that why you invited me in the first place?”

“I invited you because I needed you there to smile or do whatever it is you do that makes my heart pound when I needed you to,  _ not  _ go against my father.”

“Why not?” Chanyeol said through gritted teeth, taking a step forward, frustration radiating from every line of his body. Yixing looked equally as agitated, running his hands through his already messed up hair, fuming.

“These are  _ my _ problems, Chanyeol. I’ll find a way to get through it, like I always do.”

“Excuse me, but you made this my problem when you came into my shop and started crying.”

“I didn’t ask you to come and approach me with that stupid smile and that hot cup of coffee, did I?”

Chanyeol hadn’t even noticed that they stepped closer to each other with each shout thrown at each other. Yixing had his hands fisted by his side while Chanyeol kept throwing his around as he kept arguing.

“And if you decide you can’t handle your dad when it comes to me? Will you let me go like all the things your father’s forced you to, too?”

“We’ve known each other for a month, why does it matter,” Yixing huffed. They stood there in the silent kitchen, no sounds but their heavy breathing, glaring at each other.

Chanyeol wasn’t sure if it was their close proximity or the fact that Chanyeol was breathing so heavily through his mouth, but Yixing glanced at his lips – then brought his eyes back to look at him – then glanced at his lips again, his hands clenching and unclenching.

All the words Chanyeol had planned on saying died in his throat at that one glance, his mouth drying in anticipation.

“You don’t mean that,” Chanyeol whispered before Yixing pressed his lips against his harshly, his hands flying to cup Chanyeol’s cheeks and bring him closer. One of them moaned into the kiss, Chanyeol wasn’t sure if it was him or Yixing but one of them did.

Resting his hands on Yixing’s hips, he tugged him closer and angled his head to deepen the kiss like he always did, sliding his tongue into the kiss. Yixing broke the kiss far sooner than Chanyeol would have liked. He fluttered his eyes open to see him staring at him, lust clouding his usually bright eyes.

He let Yixing back him against the wall. Let him hold his gaze as he unbuttoned the white buttons on his dress shirt. One by one. 

Let him lean in and brush his lips against his bare neck, right under his ear. An act Chanyeol usually did to get a rise out of Yixing whenever their morning kisses turned into something more.

Chanyeol arched slightly at that caress. At the tongue that flicked against where his lips had been. Then he pulled back. Away.

It took everything in Chanyeol not to groan at the loss of contact, his crotch reacting in his restricting pants.

“Up to the bedroom, now,” Yixing’s mouth was parted slightly, body trembling as he passed by Chanyeol, opening lights as he passed by illuminating the once dark apartment. Chanyeol couldn’t find in himself to admire the interior when Yixing was walking ahead of him, already unbuttoning his own polo shirt.

“I thought you would like kitchen sex,” Chanyeol joked, stiffening when Yixing half-turned to look at him, his open shirt sliding to the side, revealing to Chanyeol Yixing’s flat, toned stomach. He wanted to lick every single inch of it.

The look Yixing gave him made Chanyeol think that he would like that.

“I do, but I am not fucking you for the first time in my kitchen, Yeol.”

When they reached the doorway to what seemed to be Yixing’s bedroom, the moment they stepped in, Chanyeol grabbed Yixing and pushed him against the wall, grinding his hips down on Yixing’s. Yixing bit his lip to keep in his groan.

“What is it with you and pushing me up against walls,” Yixing muttered.

Chanyeol leaned in, bringing his mouth right next to Yixing’s ear. “All this talk about  _ fucking _ , you better stay true to your words tonight, babe.”

Yixing laughed out breathily, running a hand against Chanyeol’s covered erection and making him shiver with want.

“Don’t worry, I fully intend to deliver,” he whispered sensually, flattening his palms against Chanyeol’s chest and sliding his open shirt off his shoulders while pushing him back toward the bed covered in black sheets.

Throwing the shirt to the side, Chanyeol sat down on the edge of the bed, pulling Yixing closer by the hips and settling him between his legs before tracing feather-light kisses down his stomach. The soft groan and the fingers that laced through Chanyeol’s hair fueled the quickly rising fire in him.

Yixing dropped to his knees in front of him, instantly cupping Chanyeol’s cheeks and pulling him in for a kiss. This one was soft – sensual and kind. When Yixing ran his tongue across Chanyeol’s bottom lip, Chanyeol couldn’t help the groan that erupted from his lips and into the kiss.

The sound snapped whatever leash he had on himself as he pushed Chanyeol back down on the bed, Chanyeol wrapping his long legs around his waist to pull him with him to the center. Yixing tore away his mouth from Chanyeol’s and brought it to his neck, where he dragged his teeth and tongue down his skin as his hands travelled to Chanyeol’s pants, unbuttoning it and tugging it open.

It was getting hotter, a light sheen of sweat already covering Chanyeol’s forehead as Yixing travelled down.

Down.

Down.

And palmed him, already painfully hard and straining, through his boxers. Yixing pulled back to survey the mess he had turned Chanyeol into. The coil in Chanyeol’stomach only tightened further as he watched Yixing bite his lip and run his tongue over his bottom lip over him.

Chanyeol struggled to sit up, straightening to tug his pants off of his legs and unto the floor. Yixing watched him with amusement on his face.

“Someone’s impatient,” he murmured, lazily hooking his index fingers on the band of Chanyeol’s boxers, pulling it back slightly before letting it slap back against Chanyeol. And Chanyeol almost prayed to the heavens when Yixing finally – finally, pulled his boxers off.

His erection stood proud against his stomach, free from its restraints. The absolute hunger on Yixing’s face when he went down on him made Chanyeol even harder (it that was possible), his dick twitching at the sight.

And the irrational fear of Yixing simply ‘blowing’ him and leaving again made Chanyeol thread his fingers in Yixing’s dark, messy hair and pull him toward his crotch. Yixing laughed but complied – after nibbling first on the insides of Chanyeol’s thighs, leaving marks that only he would be able to see.

It seemed Yixing could tease him words as much as he could tease him with that sinful mouth.

And as Yixing took him into his mouth, Chanyeol arched his back off the bed at the sensation, gripping the sheets so hard, his knuckles turned white. He stayed there for a while, licking and sucking and bobbing his head up and down until Chanyeol was right at the edge – it would have taken one more squeeze to his balls for him to have come right then and there in Yixing’s mouth.

But then Yixing stopped, sitting up and wiping off his wicked mouth with the back of his hand as he watched Chanyeol lay there panting, his chest rising and falling unevenly. Chanyeol watched him strip through half-lidded eyes, Yixing sliding his own pants off and palming himself to the sight of Chanyeol.

Chanyeol unconsciously licked his lips when Yixing pulled his underwear down, revealing his own raging hard-on. It was as beautiful and perfect as the rest of his body was.

Yixing, at the sight, groaned as he slid over Chanyeol’s body and pressed his lips against his harshly.

He wrapped a hand around Chanyeol’s dick and giving it a soft squeeze, making Chanyeol moan into the kiss and gasp. Yixing took this opportunity to thrust his tongue into Chanyeol’s mouth, once again giving him a preview of what he could do elsewhere.

Chanyeol threw his head back, breaking the kiss, to release a groan at how Yixing was pumping him.

“If you don’t fuck me now, Yixing,” Chanyeol said with a raspy voice. “I’m going to cum in your hand and you’re going to be left to take care of yourself.” He threw a pointed look downward.

Yixing chuckled and shook his head as he reached over Chanyeol, opening a drawer and reaching into it. He rummaged through the stuff inside there before pulling out what seemed to be lube.

“I assume this isn’t the first time you’ve done this?” Chanyeol joked. Seeing as how the lube was conveniently placed somewhere easily reachable, it would seem Chanyeol wasn’t the first he had slept with on this bed.

“And it’s yours?” Yixing mocked back, taking some of the lube and slathering it around his own cock, pumping it a few times. “On your knees.”

“It’s my first time being the bottom, yes. I’ve always been doing the fucking,” Chanyeol said as he struggled to straighten himself up into a position on his hands and knees.

“Well, get ready for one hell of a night,” Yixing murmured, kneading Chanyeol’s ass cheeks in his hands.

Before Chanyeol could retort with another witty statement, the slap Yixing delivers makes him start forward with a grunt. The unexpected action made heat spread across Chanyeol’s whole body and anticipate what was about to happen that much more. He hung his head and let out deep breaths as Yixing threw another.

The sweet sting and the feeling of Yixing’s fingers playing around and massaging his hole overwhelmed all of Chanyeol’s senses. He lived and breathed Yixing in that moment, unable to think of anyone or anything other than Yixing’s dick in him. He had never tried it; in the years he had known he had preferred men to women, he had never actually wanted any of his one-night stands to fuck him into the sheets.

But then Yixing came along and he had Chanyeol drooling over him since that night in the club.

The sudden stretch of Yixing’s lubed-up fingers in his ass broke him out of his thoughts with a moan he had never heard himself make.

“Tight,” Yixing groaned, pumping his fingers in and out slowly, relishing the feel of Chanyeol’s virgin ass squeezing desperately on his fingers. “I can’t wait to be inside you.”

“It feels nice…” Chanyeol trailed off, focusing on the unfamiliar feeling of having someone finger him.

“Nice?” Yixing sounded unimpressed. Chanyeol turned to look at over his shoulder to see Yixing giving him a cocky look, with a twist of wrist, Yixing found Chanyeol’s sweet spot and Chanyeol moaned, his cock throbbing in pleasure.

“Oh, God.”

The sound sent shots of pleasure running down Yixing’s stomach. He hit that spot again and again, wanting to hear those moans from the man beneath him. He bent over Chanyeol and pressed his lips gently on his back as his other hand wrapped around Chanyeol’s member.

“Fuck.” Chanyeol gasped. “ _ Fuck, Yixing. _ ”

Chanyeol arched his back and ground his ass up against Yixing, making the latter man groan in pleasure.

“Shit, Park. I’m not even inside you yet and I think you’re already ready to come,” Yixing playfully said, squeezing his member harder. Chanyeol ground his hips harder at the touch, feeling Yixing’s own hard-on pressing against his ass.

Losing himself in the role of being the bottom, Chanyeol couldn’t help but act a little dirty.

“Please,” Chanyeol panted out. “Please.”

He turned once more to look at Yixing, only for Yixing to pull his fingers out, lean forward and capture his lips with his own with a heated kiss that was all tongue and teeth. With the feeling of Yixing’s soft lips bruising his, his hand slowly and steadily pumping him and Yixing finally sliding into him, Chanyeol thought he was about to burst.

He broke the kiss and watched Yixing watch as his dick slowly disappear inside him. The stretch was bordering on painful and Chanyeol did his best to distract himself by watching the way Yixing bit his lip and furrow his eyebrows in concentration.

When he was fully seated inside, both let out sighs at the feel of the other.

“How does it feel?” Yixing asked, waiting for Chanyeol to get used to it before he started moving.

_ Amazing. _

_ Good. _

_ Fucking heavenly. _

“Words, Chanyeol,” Yixing chuckled, pulling out just by a bit before pushing again, completely enamored with the way Chanyeol was squeezing around his member deliciously. Chanyeol could feel the effort it was taking Yixing to control himself and when he was confident that his ass could handle it – that  _ he  _ could handle it – he asked Yixing to move.

Yixing had promised him a wild night.

And it was.

Chanyeol lost count of how many times Yixing’s name had passed his lips in moans, groans, mewls, pleas and, even at the very end, screams. Yixing had pumped his cock as he slammed into him again and again and again. The sound of skin slapping on skin and the harsh panting of Yixing by his ear made it impossible for Chanyeol to last for much long.

Yixing had teased him until the end; speeding up then slowing down and then pulling out altogether.

Chanyeol had felt Yixing come undone only a few more seconds after Chanyeol had, shuddering against him as he leaned forward to bite into Chanyeol’s shoulder to muffle a deep-throated groan. The feeling of Yixing spilling himself inside him made Chanyeol’s eyes roll back to his head in pleasure.

They lay there side by side, incredibly exhausted but somewhat happy.

“Thank you,” Yixing murmured against Chanyeol’s chest when they had settled down, Chanyeol’s arms wrapped around him as they drifted off to sleep. “For trying to defend me earlier.”

“I didn’t know sex would get you to open up. Maybe I should have let you fuck me earlier.”

Chanyeol let out a laugh as Yixing thumped his chest with a chest. “I’m being serious.”

Chanyeol sighed, rubbing circles on Yixing’s back as he tangled their legs together.

“I know, I know. Please don’t ever shut me out like that again,” Chanyeol said sleepily against Yixing hair as one hand played with it. “I mean, I’ll let you fuck me like that if it’ll get you to talk to me but I want to lie like this and just talk sometimes, too.”

“Is it selfish for me to want to pursue my music? If you tell me it is, I’ll drop it, Chanyeol. I’ll let it go but I’ll be damned if you think I’m running away from you too.”

“You can always have both. Music and I come as a package deal, Yixing.”

“That’s one of the reasons I love you.”

Chanyeol was too sleepy to understand but he hummed and nodded as he drifted off to sleep, his ass sore but his heart swelling with happiness.

 

**YIXING’S POV**

“We’ve been here for a week, Chanyeol,” a voice said, Yifan maybe. His world swayed a little, threatening to lull him back to sleep.

“Give him some time, Yifan. His father is giving him the worst ultimatum he’s ever had.” Someone else said in a low voice. Luhan.

“The situation isn’t going to get better if he just keeps running away like this,” Yifan said sadly. “I want to give him more time, too.”

Someone shushed his friend. Someone he had grown to love.

“Later,” his deep voice said. “I’ll talk to him about this later. He’s sleeping.”

He could feel the heat of the sun but it seemed he was under some shade, the warm breeze blowing through his hair.

As he fluttered his eyes open he remembered where they were.

Lying on top of Chanyeol on a hammock on the beach in one of Luhan’s family’s private vacation houses.

Chanyeol hummed a song as he rocked them back and forth, probably trying to keep him asleep for as long as he needed. Panic filled his chest as he was pulled back to the reality of why exactly he had pulled Chanyeol, his friends and Chanyeol’s friends, there – pretending to want them all to bond and to get to know each other better.

But the sound of Chanyeol’s humming and the steady beat of his heart under the hand he had laid across his chest calmed Yixing’s own racing one.

Chanyeol must’ve noticed his open eyes because he shifted to look at him.

“You awake?” Chanyeol asked, peeking at his face with a cute, curious look on his face.

“Yeah,” Yixing croaked out, blinking blearily at him. Chanyeol let out a rumbling laugh and pecked him on the lips playfully, his arm around Yixing’s waist tightening protectively to keep him from rolling and falling off the hammock.

“You sure? You can go back to sleep if you want to. I don’t mind.” Chanyeol chuckled, putting an arm under his head, one of his legs hanging off the hammock and touching the ground to softly rock them back and forth.

Yixing found himself staring at Chanyeol as the latter closed his eyes, humming a song unfamiliar to Yixing. It had been almost two weeks since his birthday and things haven’t improved with his father, in fact it had gone a whole lot worse.

But Yixing refused to let those thoughts invade his mind as he stared at Chanyeol, his head resting on his hands, pushing all other thoughts other than the man in front of him away.

Chanyeol must have sensed that Yixing was looking at him because he peeped open an eye before smiling cheekily as their gazes met. Yixing laughed a bit at the red that stained Chanyeol’s cheeks from both the morning heat and the stare.

“What did the others want?” Yixing asked curling back to Chanyeol’s side comfortably.

“It’s nothing. They were just a bit worried about you,” Chanyeol said in a forced light tone.

Yixing frowned before closing his eyes. “They don’t need to worry about me, I’m perfectly fine.”

Chanyeol hummed in acknowledgment. “I’m sure you are, darling.”

Yixing sat up at the tone, almost toppling them over and off the hammock. In a panic, Chanyeol sat up with him to stabilize them. When it had finally settled, Yixing shifted so he was sitting facing Chanyeol. Chanyeol did the same clumsily with his long legs, almost falling off.

Yixing tried and failed not to snort at Chanyeol.

His giant of a boyfriend pouted at him.

“I  _ am  _ fine,” Yixing insisted. Chanyeol raised an eyebrow at him questioningly.

“I know. Isn’t that what I just said?”

“No. The way you said it – it was like you said, “Sure, whatever helps you sleep at night”.”

Chanyeol sighed, running a hand through the curls Yixing loved to play with during the rare mornings and nights where Yixing would either sleep first or wake up first.

“You don’t seem fine to all of us, Yixing,” Chanyeol said, reaching out and cupping Yixing’s face when Yixing was about to look away again.

He held Chanyeol’s brown-eyed gaze as he began to speak.

“You’re father gave you a choice, didn’t he?”

Yixing nodded. He liked this side of Chanyeol. The slightly bossy, dominant one that made Yixing felt safe and secure.

“He told you that if you don’t go to him by the end of the month with the desire to become the next CEO of whatever your business does, he’ll send you back to China.”

Yixing nodded once more. “He  _ can  _ do that, you know. He still is my father.”

“What? Is he going to force you through the customs and tie you to a seat in your private jet? Not that I don’t support you every step of the way, Xing. But, aren’t you tired of running away from your father and this problem that seems to eat you up inside?”

“You don’t understand.”

“Then help me to. The way I see it, Yixing, is that you don’t want to take your father’s place but you don’t completely want to cut yourself off from them because you’re afraid that your music won’t take you that far. Just like your father said.”

The words struck a struck home into Yixing’s heart no matter how hard he tried to deny it.

“He never gave me a chance to prove myself,” Yixing sighed, putting his hands over Chanyeol’s on his cheek and lowering it between them. “Whenever I tried out, I would pass the first auditions but I’d never actually get to know if I do have what it takes to become an artist because he keeps screwing me up. That and the words he throws my way every time he catches me playing the guitar or singing, makes me lose the confidence I have in myself and my music.”

“But you don’t let it go. You don’t let your father win.”

“Because I love doing music. I don’t know if I’m good or bad at it but sometimes that doesn’t mean shit to me because I just truly, love doing it.”

Yixing blurted out words without thinking about it whenever Chanyeol asked him questions. At first, it had bothered Yixing that he had no reserves whatsoever when it came to him but deep inside, he was happy – relieved – that he could reveal his thoughts and feelings freely.

“Oh, believe me you’re good at it,” Chanyeol commented, looking down at their intertwined fingers. “And I understand the drive that pushes you to music. What I don’t understand is that, why you never showed him what you could do?”

Yixing had brought Chanyeol to his studio set-up inside his apartment the day after his birthday and Chanyeol could finally stand up without complaining about being sore. Chanyeol had looked around and played with every instrument he could find before settling himself in front of Yixing’s laptop.

“You told me you liked to produce music,” Chanyeol said, enthusiastically, almost bouncing in his chair. Yixing pulled another chair closer with a laugh, finding Chanyeol extremely cute.

“I do.”

“Could I hear some?”

Saying Chanyeol was impressed was an understatement. Yixing watched as Chanyeol’s initial feeling of wonder and amazement faded away into someone Yixing barely recognized. He was serious and focused as he tweaked around with Yixing’s other unfinished tracks. Nodding his head to the beats he made.

Needless to say, Yixing found it hot.

Yixing shook away the memory of bending Chanyeol over his desk.

“I sang at one event a few years ago, for my mother’s birthday and everybody had seemed impressed. I had thought it was a good time to present my dream of being an artist to my father that night. He had merely laughed and waved the idea off, thinking I was joking. It continued on like that for a few months until he began getting angry at me for being late to lessons because I was up late on my computer, producing or writing.”

Chanyeol nodded, a small pout on his lips as he listened to the story.

“Well, after that he had hated the idea of me pursuing music. He said it was a distraction from my work, he thinks everything’s a distraction,” Yixing added with a roll of his eyes. “He has then never entertained any of my attempts at convincing him to pick another heir of the company and leave me alone.”

“Do you think that if he saw you performing one of your original songs and a producer signs you then and there, he’d change his mind about everything?” Chanyeol mused, his lips curling at the ends as he cocked to the side.

Yixing made a face. His father was stubborn and he had scolded Yixing one too many times about the subject that his pride won’t let him consider any option.

“I highly doubt it.”

“But if I could set it up for you, would you do it? Would you perform in front of your father?”

He furrowed his eyebrows in confusion, trying to process Chanyeol’s words. Before he could open his mouth to answer, there was a shout from somewhere behind him.

“Guys!”

Yixing turned around to see Chanyeol’s friends (who had become his friends too these past weeks, strangely enough), Baekhyun, Jongdae and Jongin, running toward them. They seemed to be thoroughly enjoying their vacation here and Yixing was relieved that at least they were having fun even if Yixing had used all of this as an excuse to avoid his father.

“Come play with us!” Jongin shouted, waving his hand in the air as he jogged, his golden skin glowing under the sun.

Behind them, Minseok, Sehun and Luhan were waiting by the volleyball net, already warming up and passing the ball between them.

When the trio finally reached them, they flipped the hammock they had been relaxing on over. Yixing and Chanyeol tried in vain not to fall over, clutching on the ropes for dear life. Curses were thrown as both fell to the ground, sand flying everywhere. The three burst out laughing.

“Aren’t you two lovebirds tired of each other yet?” Baekhyun looked at them disapprovingly. Chanyeol jumped to his feet and began tackling Baekhyun to the ground. Yixing, shocked with everything that had just happened, just sat up and laughed.

Jongdae and Jongin helped him up and brushed him off, ignoring the two idiots wrestling on the sand.

“You up for a game of beach volleyball?” Jongdae asked, jerking his head in the direction of the net. “You haven’t played with us that much the whole week and we have to go home tomorrow.”

The pout on Jongdae’s face made Yixing laugh a bit and pat the man on the back.

“Sorry ‘bout that. I haven’t exactly been feeling well,” Yixing said, rubbing the back of his neck.

From the corner of Yixing’s eye he saw Jongin, laughing hysterically, begin helping Chanyeol and Baekhyun up as the two kept bickering.

“We heard,” Jongdae nodded in understanding. “I only ever heard you sing once; that time you had sung for Chanyeol, and I think you were quite impressive.”

Yixing stared at Jongdae in surprise.

“You shouldn’t let what your father says about your music get through to your heart,” Jongdae said softly.

“Thank you,” Yixing said, still a bit stunned at being consoled by anyone other than his friends and Chanyeol.

Chanyeol finally walked over to him after resolving things with Baekhyun and Jongin and together they walked across the beach, the sand hot under their heels, toward the others.

Yixing was happy to see all of them getting along well, his friends and the friends he had made through Chanyeol already well on the way of being good friends.

Kyungsoo, Kris and Tao sat on chairs under a tent, chatting silently about God-knows-what while Minseok, Luhan, Sehun and Junmyeon already passed the ball between them under the sun.

“Are you regretting bringing Baekhyun along yet?” Chanyeol whispered, making Yixing bite his lip to avoid laughing.

“No. It’s nice that we’re all here, even if Junmyeon only arrived last night.”

“It’s a miracle we even got him to come,” Chanyeol chuckled, “I’m surprised he left his club just like that.”

“And what about you?” Yixing accused, peering over at his tall boyfriend.

“What about me?” Chanyeol asked, looking at him with an amused look on his face.

“What about your café?”

It’s been more than a week that Chanyeol actually managed his café. He’s been leaving it in the hands of some of his most trusted employees aside from his friends. Yixing felt bad that he kept pulling Chanyeol away from his work.

But Chanyeol just shrugged. “The guys over there update me day and night. It’s good training for them for when I finally decide that I want to do something different in life.”

Yixing raised his eyebrows in surprise. “You’re giving the café up?”

“No. You know how those other café owners just  _ own  _ the place and are rarely there? Well, that’s what I plan on doing. A lot of other baristas have been applying lately and honestly,” Chanyeol stopped, making Yixing stop and turn to look at him. “I’ve been thinking about what your dad said about what I could be able to give you.”

Oh.

Yixing frowned and cursed his father in his mind for making Chanyeol doubt his worth. He stepped closer to Chanyeol and took his face in his hands and kissed him deeply. Chanyeol blinked in surprise but quickly got into the kiss, wrapping his arms around Yixing’s waist.

When Yixing pulled away with a sharp inhale, he pressed his forehead against Chanyeol’s, their breaths mixing together between them.

“You have already given me everything I will ever need, Chanyeol,” Yixing murmured.

Chanyeol sighed and shook his head as he straightened, taking Yixing’s hand in his and pulling him toward their awaiting friends.

The stars shone above them as they padded over to the roaring camp fire the others had set up on the beach, hand-in-hand.

The warm, night breeze blowing around them, making the night feel unreal to Yixing.

The others were already settled on logs scattered all around the fire, keeping warm as they chatted away happily and once more Yixing is hit with the feeling of longing. He had finally agreed to leave and face reality the next morning after much convincing from his friends.

He would like to have a night like this again.

Chanyeol stepped over a log and settled himself upon it, patting the spot beside him for Yixing to sit on. Everyone watched them with knowing smiles and smirks on their faces.

“So,” Kyungsoo began. “You’re a bit late.”

Yixing looked at Chanyeol and saw him flush under the gaze of everyone. They kept silent, refusing to make any comment that might fuel their objective of humiliating them.

“You don’t have to make it so obvious,” Baekhyun snickered. “We can all see the hickey on Yixing’s collarbone.”

Everyone roared in laughter.

Yixing merely rolled his eyes.

“Just because you guys haven’t been getting any recently, doesn’t mean  _ we  _ have to hold back,” Yixing snapped back, a playful smile on his lips.

Reactions erupted from all sides.

“You brought us all here, Yixing, of course I wouldn’t be getting some,” Sehun scoffed.

“Ew,” Tao said in disgust. “We don’t need any details, please.”

“You’re all disgusting,” Kyungsoo muttered, Junmyeon nodding with him.

What all the others were saying blurred together and Yixing and Chanyeol laughed at the mess but a sentence from their right caught all of their attention, stunning them into silence.

“Who says you two are the only ones whose been getting some this week?” Jongdae loud voice rose over all the rest, making everyone look at him and then to the hand Minseok rested on his knee.

Mouths dropped to the sand as they all exchange surprised glances. Most surprised though, above all, was Baekhyun who had began shouting ‘I fucking knew it!’s.

Jongdae sat there surprised at himself as everyone begun bombarding them with questions. Chanyeol and Yixing exchanged glances before laughing. Minseok giggled and grinned beside Jongdae, covering up his face once in a while I embarrassment.

Once the commotion had died down everyone sat around in comfortable silence, enjoying the calm before the storm.

“Chanyeol,” Junmyeon suddenly called out, giving Chanyeol a pointed glance. “Maybe it’s time to tell everyone your plan.”

Yixing twisted to look at Chanyeol.

Plan?

Chanyeol smiled at him.

“Remember what I asked you this morning? About whether or not, given the chance, you would perform in front of your father.”

Yixing’s blood chilled at the thought. “I don’t remember giving you an answer.”

“I’m having an event at my club next weekend. It’s gotten fairly popular after all your recent visits,” Junmyeon stated a bit proudly. “I’m letting a few aspiring stars perform and inviting a few of my producer friends to give them the chance to show them what they’ve got. Maybe you’d be interested in performing.”

Yixing glanced back to Chanyeol, a frown on his face as the others sat up, interested in the whole ordeal, Baekhyun, Jongdae and Kyungsoo most of all. While they were all distracted with the event, Yixing thought the chance they were offering him over.

“It would be worth a try, Yixing,” Chanyeol said, rubbing circles on the back of Yixing’s hand soothingly.

“And if it doesn’t work and he still thinks I’m a failure?”

“Then we throw your guitar in his face and we run the hell out of there.”

Yixing let out a surprised laugh at the suggestion but deep inside he let himself be just a bit convinced. He trusted Chanyeol – and everyone around him tonight – and if they thought he could do it, get signed by a producer after only one performance then maybe he could.

“I could convince my father to invite Yixing’s father to drink at your club that night. My father and his father going out for drinks would gather a lot of attention from lots of people,” Luhan suggested thoughtfully, locking gazes with Yixing.

Yixing smiled and nodded gratefully.

“We could invite a few of our acquaintances as well,” Tao chirped in. “The more influential people there to experience Yixing’s talent, the better. His father wouldn’t be able to deny him then.”

The others began quickly making plans.

Yixing swallowed the slowly rising nerves that came with the pressure they were steadily adding unto his shoulders unknowingly. Only Chanyeol seemed to notice his sudden discomfort, his hand dropping to his thigh and squeezing it in a silent question.

It was always like that with Chanyeol; small touches and silent questions that seemed to only pass through them.

_ Are you okay with all of this? _

Yixing heaved a deep breath, feeling his chest grow cold as he thought it over and over again. He wanted to run away and delay making the decision – like he knew he always did. But this time he can’t. He knows he can’t.

Another squeeze to his thigh and he was forced to tear his gaze from the fire into Chanyeol’s eyes.

And the look he gave him calmed Yixing’s racing heart. That’s right. He can’t run away now because then he’d be leaving Chanyeol behind and he wasn’t willing to do that, not even if his father had driven him to a corner.

Chanyeol stared at him worriedly as Yixing watched Chanyeol, his thoughts fleeting by quickly.

“I’ll do it,” Yixing whispered. Chanyeol blinked in surprise at the sudden declaration.

“Are you sure?” Chanyeol asked, a grin forming on his lips. “We’ll help you every step of the way and, even after all of this, your father still disapproves I promise to knock some sense into him until he lets you pursue music.”

“Good to know we have a Plan B,” Yixing laughed at Chanyeol’s theatrics.

“So, you’re performing?” Baekhyun, who had been sitting closest to them overheard, leaned forward, glancing over to them enthusiastically. Everyone turned to Yixing curiously – hope in their eyes.

Yixing pretended to sigh in defeat.

“Yes.”

Though the situation didn’t call for a round of applause, they still clapped and hollered in happiness, Chanyeol being the loudest of them all.

And as the night continued on, Chanyeol picked up the guitar Jongdae and Baekhyun had conveniently brought with them earlier that evening and handed the other to Yixing.

“Practice,” he merely said.

But the jamming session the 12 of them had was more than just practice to him. It was a memory he would cherish and hold dear to his heart in the years to come.

The memory of everyone singing on the top of their lungs and the one he loved laughing by his side under the star-flecked sky, the fire warming what would have been a cold night without his friends.

.

The bass from the slow R&B song Baekhyun, Jongdae and Kyungsoo had chosen to sing boomed through the club, making Yixing’s heart beat with it. It reminded Yixing of the first time he had been brought here by Chanyeol. That night he had drunk himself to a stupor, barely remembering anything after their second of round drinks.

He could see Chanyeol on the upper floor, where the whole level was designated for VIPs, talking with Tao and Yifan. Men in suits loitered around them, talking with each other and now and then pointing over to one of his friends onstage.

His father, with all the other rich bastards, sat in their own box high above the stage, watching only with mild interest, unaware that his own son was about one of the performers hoping to catch the eye f one of the producers.

Chanyeol, as if feeling that Yixing was watching him, searched the sides of the stage for him and finally met his gaze when he stepped out of the curtains just a little bit.

Chanyeol grinned at him and gave him a thumbs-up.

The only thought that went through Yixing’s mind then, despite the crushing nerves, was how incredibly handsome and hot Chanyeol looked wearing ripped jeans, a muscle tank and a jacket way too big for him.

Chanyeol had said the same about him when he had seen Yixing dressed-up with the help of Tao, dark, comfortable clothes that paired off well to the light make-up Tao had insisted on putting on for him.

Yixing had not disapproved when Chanyeol had dropped to his knees and expressed just how much he found Yixing handsome before driving to the club.

Jongin tapped him on the shoulder, waking him up from his thoughts. He looked over to him questioningly. Jongin and Sehun stood side by side in complimenting black outfits, close copies of each other but different and suited to each one’s personal taste.

They had agreed to dance with him onstage, helping him choreograph in the short time they had to prepare.

“You ready?” Jongin cocked his head to the side and smiled at him kindly.

“Yeah, I guess,” Yixing said timidly, adjusting his sleeves unconsciously just for something to do. “Thank you, by the way, for agreeing to do this with me.”

Sehun just shrugged. “Chanyeol offered to pay us for it.”

Yixing glanced up in surprise, watching as the two burst out laughing.

“I’m kidding,” Sehun chuckled, putting an arm around Yixing’s shoulder, the action oddly comfortable for Yixing.  “We’re glad to be able to help you even by just a little bit.”

Everyone had helped him this past week and Yixing would be forever be grateful for all of them.

The song he had decided to perform was something he had already been working on but he had only finally finished with the help of Chanyeol. The lyrics were written with the help of the Jongdae and Chanyeol, both whom were incredible with writing and left Yixing with awe.

The choreography was all thanks to the two young men by his side now. They had spent every afternoon of the past week in Yixing’s private mirrored practice room, creating a routine that first fitted the beat of the song and was then developed more when the lyrics were written.

He only kept sane because Minseok and Kyungsoo were there to give him strength (and control Baekhyun when he got too annoying). They also gave him food whenever he seemed like he needed it, Kyungsoo borderline force-feeding him when he refused to do so when he was engrossed in practice.

The solid support of Kris, Luhan and Tao could be felt every night they had gone over to Chanyeol’s café where they all gathered and prepared their performances, pushing all the chairs and tables to the side.

Every night that passed closer to the night of the event, Yixing had felt less and less alone.

And with Chanyeol’s arms wrapped around him every night, it was hard not to think he was loved.

The first time Chanyeol had approached him that night all those weeks ago, Yixing had felt cautious but he had been immediately disarmed by his kindness and his  _ smile _ . A smile that could light up a dark room. A smile Yixing would probably be able to see in a sea of others.

And as the days passed with Yixing spending almost all of them with Chanyeol, Yixing couldn’t help but fall in love with the awkward giant – waking up side by side, cooking for each other and getting used to each other’s own weird habits as they lived together under one roof despite not knowing anything about each other made the whole experience that much special.

They had only begun dating for more or less a month but Yixing loved Chanyeol with all of his heart.

Yixing took a mental note to finally tell Chanyeol this the moment he got off stage, regardless of whether his parents approve of them or not, he’d find a way to keep Chanyeol in his life.

Quicker than Yixing expected, it was his turn to perform.

Baekhyun passed him by as he ran backstage after their whole set and he gave him a hug, smiling hugely. Jongdae did the same, waving his hands excitedly. Kyungsoo smiled at him encouragingly.

“We all know you’re going to do great,” Baekhyun hyped him up. Yixing laughed lightly and nodded.

Honestly, with all these dorks supporting him, what reason did Yixing have to be nervous?

The lights dimmed and it was their signal to go on stage. Jongin and Sehun clapped him on the back before moving to their positions. Yixing jogged to the middle, adjusting his mic and making sure everything was alright. He focused on his breathing and calming his thundering heart.

Cheers erupted as they were introduced. Yixing wasn’t sure but he could’ve sworn he could hear Baekhyun and Jongdae’s shouting from behind him and Tao’s hollering from one of the balconies on the second floor.

He glanced upward and as expected, he could see Chanyeol standing out from the rest even in the dim lighting. He leaned forward, his arms resting on the balcony railings.

Yixing found Chanyeol watching him with a proud smile on his face. Happiness swelled in Yixing’s heart at the small expression on Chanyeol’s face, overpowering some of his worries and fears.

Before he could stop himself, Yixing mouthed.

_ I love you. _

Chanyeol’s answering flustered smile was enough to get Yixing through the performance as the song – their song – started up.

As he began to sing, he constantly reminded himself in his head that he had done that same performance for probably a hundred times in that week alone. He had sung that song so many times, he had begun to hum it unconsciously, going through the steps in his mind.

Standing on that stage, lit by the spotlight, his voice reaching his ears through the speakers, Yixing focused on his vocals, his steps and his facial expressions. A few minutes in and he realized that he wasn’t even trying anymore. Everything came naturally to him.

Adrenaline coursed through him as the crowd quickly got into his performance, cheering him on.

Though the crowd had never heard his song they jumped along, cheering for him and giving him so much energy and adrenaline that Yixing had no idea what to do with it.  

He completely forgot his father, sitting up in his chair, watching his son pour his heart out into one song.

And as his performance came to an end, dripping in sweat and panting like he had just ran a marathon, he glanced up defiantly to where he knew his father would be seated. He looked back at him stonily and for once Yixing genuinely didn’t feel intimidated.

The roar of applause and shouts of approval from people he didn’t know rang in Yixing’s ears and he couldn’t help the big smile that stretched across his face as he bowed and thanked them continuously.

He exited the stage with his heart pounding and was met with the smiles and hugs of his friends.

Within seconds he was crushed between bodies that looked so happy for him he thought he was going to burst out crying just from seeing them there.

But the one he wanted to see the most wasn’t there.

Yixing frowned. Before leaving the stage he had looked over to where Chanyeol had stood but he had disappeared. Yixing had assumed he had gone backstage to see him but he was nowhere to be seen.

“Where’s Chanyeol?” Yixing asked Kris who was grinning stupidly, apparently high from Yixing’s performance despite not performing himself.

Kyungsoo handed him a towel and a bottle of water and did the same for Jongin and Sehun. Yixing accepted it gratefully, immediately wiping the sweat off his forehead with the towel.

“He went to get something,” Baekhyun said with a knowing glance to the others. “You’ll see.”

“Oh,” Jongdae exclaimed, “There he is.”

And sure enough, jogging toward them was Chanyeol, an electrical guitar strapped to his chest.

He jogged straight toward Yixing, slid his guitar to the back and swept him up for a kiss. He tasted sweet and felt hot, as if he had a fever. He instinctively moved a bit closer to him, weaving his fingers in Chanyeol’s hair. Chanyeol’s mouth opened over his, he explored Yixing’s lips with his as if this were the first time they had kissed, sending slow waves of heat through his body.

The staff, their friends and whoever saw, hollered and cheered.

Chanyeol drew back, panting a bit, a silly lopsided grin on his face.

“I love you, too,” he murmured, leaning in for another kiss – a short, chaste, sweet kiss that literally left Yixing in tears. Everyone around them became irrelevant, the announcer talking through the speakers became irrelevant, even the mission they had that night became irrelevant in that single moment.

“I didn’t know you were performing,” Yixing breathed out when they pulled away from each other, a single tear sliding down his cheek. Chanyeol noticed and wiped it away with his thumb, no doubt remembering the nights he hadn’t been able to wipe his tears away back when they hadn’t known each other.

“He isn’t,” Junmyeon said, appearing out of nowhere, a proud smile on his face as he approached. “It’s way too early to end this really  _ expensive  _ party and the producers need time to approach their new discoveries and introduce themselves so he’s here to entertain the crowd while that goes on.”

“DJ  _ slash _ Rapper  _ slash _ Producer Loey at your service,” Chanyeol grinned cockily, winking at Yixing. “I remember you being particularly interested in this side of me.”

“Every side of you is interesting, Park.” Yixing answered, amused. “Especially your  _ backside _ .”

Chanyeol snorted before squeezing his hand. “Wish me luck.”

“You don’t need luck.”

Chanyeol grinned.

Five minutes later, Yifan and the others led him toward their couches on the second floor where Minseok, Luhan and Tao waited with drinks all ready on the table. They had welcomed them warmly, Jongdae running to Minseok’s arms and the others settling themselves on the couches. Luhan and Tao had smiled at Yixing and Yixing had smiled back.

They had a perfect view of the stage and the crowd from up there. Yixing couldn’t wait to watch Chanyeol perform, he quite literally sat on the edge of his seat.

While the staff rushed around below to hurry and set-up Chanyeol’s equipment, he and the others talked about the performances over a few drinks. They were approached by a producer every few minutes, some went to Baekhyun, others to Jongdae or Kyungsoo and some even went to Yixing, offering him opportunities he had only ever dreamed about.

To his surprise, a producer from the company he had wanted to join the most approached him enthusiastically. The producer had pulled him to the side and expressed his interest in Yixing and his music. Yixing listened half-heartedly, glancing now and then over the railings to see if Chanyeol was about to perform.

He was thankful the man had given him a calling card. He’d contact them again tomorrow, probably, at the earliest. He was ecstatic, deep inside, that at least one part had of their plan had worked in their favor. He had producers lining up to talk to him but he couldn’t focus on a single one of them, not when Chanyeol could start rapping any time now.

Tonight he just wanted to enjoy himself the best he could.

On the way back to his seat Yixing froze where he stood.

His father stood there a few feet away from him, his hands clasped in front of him as if waiting patiently.

Yixing steeled himself, taking a deep breath and making a promise to himself not to make a fight. He didn’t have the time.

“Hello,” Yixing said as he approached, trying to look as formal as he could. “I never would have thought I’d see you in a place like this.”

His father wrinkled his nose in distaste. “Well, the opportunity of bonding with clients and potential partners was too good to pass up.”

Yixing pursed his lips and nodded.

“I had no idea you were going to go up on stage though.”

Yixing hummed. “Do you see now that this is what I want? That this is what I’m actually good at.”

Yixing’s father seemed to be conflicted as he frowned. “You’ve always excelled in everything you’ve done, Yixing. I’ve just never understood why you’d pick this over your own company.”

“I don’t think there was a time I actually wanted your company, Father,” Yixing admitted, hoping that this time, even in the atmosphere of a sophisticated club, his father would finally listen. “I’ve told you this a thousand times.”

“And I’ve always said that you were selfish to pick yourself over your responsibilities. To be honest, I’m tempted to tell you this again.”

“If you say that again, I swear, I’m never talking to you or mom again,” Yixing threatened.

His father smirked before sighing.

“Despite my disapproval with your life decisions, I cannot help but acknowledge your talent. I see a lot of producers have already given you their contact information.” His father jerked his chin to the calling card between Yixing’s fingers.

Yixing nodded. “Will you pay them not to accept me again?” He raised a questioning eyebrow. “Honestly, father, don’t you ever get tired of controlling my life?”

“I wouldn’t have to control you if you’d just  _ listen _ ,” his father said exasperatedly.

“No, you listen. I’ve wanted this my whole life, okay? Now that I’ve experienced what it feels like to be on a stage like that, I want it now more than ever. If you force me to give this up and become the president of your godforsaken company, I promise you that I will ruin it to the best of my abilities. I will burn everything you’ve worked so hard for to the ground.”

His father glared at him fiercely but Yixing could see that he was tired of talking about it – at least for tonight.

“And what of your relationship? I don’t see the young man you brought along with you at your party. Did you finally realize that you’re way out of his league?”

“Again, father, who I do and do not love is none of your business.”

Before either could say another word, Chanyeol’s voice boomed through the speakers.

“Hey, guys.”

Yixing couldn’t understand why those two words could accelerate his heart so much. He watched as Chanyeol stepped up on a platform on the stage, his equipment glowing all around him, a devilish smirk on his handsome face.

Yixing glanced back at his father only once, a smirk that matched Chanyeol’s spreading across his lips.

“We’ll talk about this more next time, father. For now, I want to listen to my boyfriend prove you wrong.”

His father stared at him and blinked, as if quickly realizing something.

“There’s nothing more to discuss,” his father said before walking away.

Yixing tried not to dwell too much on what his father said as he rushed back to their table.

Instead of sitting down on the couch though, he walked over to the balcony to see Chanyeol better, the others following suit.

“Jesus, this brings back memories,” Chanyeol chuckled into the mic, coaxing a cheer from the crowd.

Apparently, the audience was still familiar with him despite the long time he hadn’t done this. How much exactly had  _ he _ given up for his café?

“How you guys doing tonight?” Chanyeol deep voice rose over the catcalls and hollers of the crowd. He let out a small laugh, satisfied with the noise.

“I hope you enjoyed the performances earlier.” Chanyeol looked up and met his gaze. “Did any of you notice that last guy? Quite the hottie, wasn’t he?”

He winked at him, causing Yixing to laugh as the friends that stood around him cheered, catching the attention from some of the people below.

“What about me? Wasn’t I hot?!” Baekhyun shouted, leaning over the balcony and grinning maniacally.

“I didn’t see you grinding across the floor, now, did I?”

Yixing flushed as the crowd laughed. Baekhyun stuck his tongue out in return, making Chanyeol laugh.

“Alright, enough of that,” he smirked as he started up a low beat, the lights dimming all around them. The crowd erupted into cheers and hoots, already reacting to the music.

“I’m going to do a bit of DJ-ing first, clap along with me, now.”

They did everything he told them to. If he asked them shout along, they did. If he asked them to raise their hands in the air and jump, they would. If he had probably asked them to give their souls out to him, they would. Yixing definitely would’ve.

Yixing almost wished he were down there, losing himself with the people that danced along to the beat but he couldn’t tear his eyes away from Chanyeol. He was jumping and moving around so much he had started to sweat. And when his jacket slipped off his shoulders, revealing his toned biceps, Yixing couldn’t help but moan.

Thankfully, the sound was drowned out by the booming music.

But when he began to rap –  _ shit, when he began to rap with that deep voice of his.  _ It reminded Yixing too much of the groans and grunts he made in bed.

It suddenly felt really hard to breathe. Yixing bit his lip and grasped the railings tight. He could imagine Chanyeol on top of him, behind him, inside him, filling him with nothing but thoughts of him and how hot he looked right now.

Yifan must have seen the look on his face because he handed him a drink with a knowing smirk. Yixing took it gratefully and downed it in one gulp, handing the glass back to Yifan in seconds, already asking for another.

His friend had only given him two more before denying him another.

“Trust me, you’re going to want to remember this night.” Yifan shouted in his ear when he glared at him when he had been refused another drink.

When Yixing turned back to Chanyeol, he found him staring intently, a cocky smile on his lips. He continued to stare still as he began to rap with the beat, now and then closing his eyes sensually.

Oh, Yixing was definitely going to make him pay for that one.

Chanyeol’s set lasted for more than an hour, the crowd always begging for more. The others had taken their seats and started drinking but Yixing stayed there on the balcony until Chanyeol bid the audience goodbye with a small bow and a grin, sweating like crazy.

Yixing didn’t even bother to tell anyone before rushing backstage.

He was going to find Chanyeol and shove him into the nearest dressing room and he was going to make him beg for it.

Yixing groaned when he finally caught Chanyeol in his sight. Apparently his stage had been too hot he had taken of his jacket – leaving him in a muscle tank that revealed those biceps he would usually spend the whole morning admiring.

Just as their eyes met, someone approached Chanyeol and his attention was momentarily diverted.

Yixing slowed his rushing pace to a walk as he observed what was happening from afar. Chanyeol had a polite smile on his face, nodding along to what the man was saying.

It was a producer.

Actually, it was the same producer from the company Yixing liked.

The man clapped Chanyeol on the arm and handed him the same calling card he had given Yixing before walking away.

He couldn’t help but feel proud of Chanyeol. And so when he finally got close enough, instead of kissing him roughly like he had imagined, he threw his arms around him and hugged him tightly.

Chanyeol stepped back in surprise, wrapping his own bare arms around Yixing’s waist with a laugh.

“I take it you enjoyed my performance,” Chanyeol chuckled, his voice a bit rough and husky from rapping.

At that, Yixing remembered why exactly he had stormed all the way there. He pulled away from Chanyeol’s chest and leaned back in to capture Chanyeol’s lips with his fiercely. Yixing could feel Chanyeol smile into the kiss and press him closer to his sweaty body.

Yixing, annoyed and turned on, bit Chanyeol’s bottom lip and lazily pulled back, letting it slowly slip away.

“I loved it,” Yixing whispered hotly in Chanyeol’s ear. “You looked and sounded so hot, I wanted to go down there and kiss you infront of all your fans.”

He smirked when he felt Chanyeol grip his shirt in a fist.

Chanyeol’s smug smile was all gone as he stared at Yixing, pupils blown wide.

Before he could do anything they would probably regret, laughs and whistles erupted from behind them.

Yixing turned around to see that all of their friends had followed him down. They watched the pair take a step away from each other with sheepish grins on their faces. Chanyeol took Yixing’s hand and intertwined their fingers before approaching the group.

“Can’t keep your hands off of each other, can’t you?” Sehun teased, noting their hands with a smirk.

“And why would we want to do that?”

When they got back to Chanyeol’s apartment after having another round of drinks, Yixing couldn’t even wait before they were in the bedroom. He was glad Chanyeol shared the same sentiment.

Once Chanyeol had kicked the door closed, Yixing had him backing up against a wall, his fingers on the waistband of his jeans.

Yixing hadn’t expected Chanyeol to try to dominate him, though, twisting them around so that it was Yixing with his back up against the wall, Chanyeol settling himself between his legs.

He could feel his erection pressing up against his stomach and he moaned into the kiss. Chanyeol, at the sound, seemed to be fueled further, lifting Yixing’s leg up to his waist and grinding against him harder.

Yixing broke the kiss with a gasp, clutching Chanyeol’s arms tightly.

“Wait,” Yixing gasped when Chanyeol began kissing his cheeks, his jaw. “I want you tonight.”

“Why do you think we’re making out in the hallway?” Chanyeol murmured against his neck, causing him to shiver and his knees to buckle.

“No, I meant, I want  _ you _ tonight. You told me you weren’t used to being the bottom.”

Chanyeol pulled back, blinking in mild surprise.

“I want you to  _ fuck  _ me, Chanyeol.”

Yixing could already feel himself coming undone when Chanyeol smirked, leading him to the bedroom.

“What led this on?” He chuckled.

Yixing shrugged. “Seeing you act all cocky on stage made me wonder what that side of you could do in bed.”

Chanyeol threw his head back and laughed. “So, seeing me jump up and down on stage, rapping my ass off, turned you on?”

“Everything you do when your biceps are out turns me on.”

He laughed harder, so much so that the heavy sexual tension between them faded away as they sat on the bed, Yixing smiling and watching him laugh.

When he had calmed down, he laid back and pulled Yixing down with him, wrapping himself around him.

“Before I make you scream my name, I just want to know,” Chanyeol murmured, touching their noses together as they lay on their sides.

The way he casually he suggested that he  _ could  _ make Yixing scream his name made his blood heat again.

“Did you get to talk to your father?”

That effectively turned him off. Yixing sighed through his nose as he recalled his conversation with his father.

“Yes. He didn’t seem to be too angry. In fact, now that I think about it, he looked a bit resigned about the fact that that was what I wanted to do with my life, stand on a stage and not sit behind a desk.”

Chanyeol hummed as he began playing with Yixing’s hair.

“Do you think he’d let you? Now that he’s seen you perform and impress a hell lot of producers?”

“Hopefully.”

Yixing propped himself up on a hand. “Speaking of producers, don’t pretend that one approached you just as you were heading off the stage.”

Chanyeol watched him with amused eyes before shrugging. “Yeah, so?”

“So,” Yixing said, swinging himself over so that he straddled Chanyeol. “That means musician Park Chanyeol isn’t gone after all.”

Chanyeol whined beneath him.

“I thought I was going to do the fucking,” he said, coaxing a laugh out of Yixing.

He leaned down to kiss him chastely. “You are.”

Chanyeol grinned into the kiss and Yixing was filled with a sudden rush of affection.

“I love you,” Yixing said, pressing his forehead against Chanyeol’s as he pulled away.

Chanyeol grinned up at him before twisting them around so that Yixing now lay beneath him.

“I love you, too.”

 

**CHANYEOL’S POV**

“Are you going to pay for that?” Chanyeol narrowed his eyes at Baekhyun who had a muffin lifted half-way to his mouth.

“Since when have I ever paid for anything here, Chanyeol,” Baekhyun scoffed, scarfing down the muffin without a second thought.

Chanyeol sighed and rolled his eyes good-naturedly, going back to making random mixes and recipes for a new drink – adding sugar and nuts here, adding whipcream there. It was hard to stay annoyed these days, even with Baekhyun.

Every single day had been nothing short of fun, peaceful and extremely satisfying for Chanyeol. He wasn’t sure if it was because he now, aside from owning his beloved café, was a producer for a big-ass entertainment or because some of his friends were over more often than before or because he had spent every single day with the one he loved.

Who was currently, probably, writing his own songs, too.

Things have passed by so fast that Chanyeol wasn’t sure what was happening most of the time.

A month ago, after their impromptu stage at Junmyeon’s club, Yixing’s father had contacted him and had asked for a meeting. Like a formal one, where Chanyeol had to wear a suit and everything.

He didn’t.

Yixing did and tried to convince Chanyeol to do the same to which he rolled his eyes and said, “I’m not going to dress up for your father, Xing. In a suit or not, he’s going to hate me anyway, I’ll at least feel comfortable through it.”

Mostly Chanyeol was just proud that Yixing didn’t want to avoid it and run away to some island again.

And so they met with the CEO – and were surprised that not even a single insult was thrown their way.

Yixing’s father had been oddly civilized as they discussed things. Chanyeol kept looking over at Yixing and his expressions every time his father said something unexpected. Yixing kept blinking in surprise whenever his father nodded and agreed to his suggestions.

“So, you’re okay with me pursuing this? My music?” Yixing asked his father once more, cautiously, as if not believing his own ears.

“Yes, with the way producers lined up to talk to you the other day, you’d be famous and making money in no time.”

Yixing deadpanned, causing his father to crack a smile.

“I’m kidding – partly – I’ve seen you perform and even I would invest in you if I were in that field. But you can’t come back here and tell me you want to take over the company when this music thing of yours fails, Yixing,” his father’s expression grew stern. “So, you have to do your best.”

“ _ If  _ my music thing fails.  _ If. _ ”

So far he’d been doing great training in the company Chanyeol had also chosen to sign with. It had been a unanimous decision between them to sign a contract with the same company.

The soft chime of the windchimes signaled the arrival of a customer. Chanyeol turned around and came face to face with his handsome boyfriend.

“I’m home,” Yixing smiled softly, his dimple showing.

“I can see that,” Chanyeol chuckled. “Do you want anything to drink?”

Yixing shook his head before looking around. He seemed to notice Baekhyun who was munching on more muffins and reading his notes by his side.

“Hey, Baekhyun,” Yixing greeted.

“Hi, Yixing. Listen, if I fail my exams, could you put in a good word for me over at that company you work at? I need to make sure my future is intact.”

Jongdae, who was passing by after serving a table their drinks, hit him over the head lightly.

“If you’d stop eating and focus on what you’re reading, you would’ve understood it by now,” Jongdae chided.

“So, are Luhan and the others coming over tonight?” Chanyeol asked Yixing who now stood beside him.

“I sure hope not,” Yixing snorted. “Remember the last time they were here during OpenMic Night? I’m surprised people still come over after that.”

Chanyeol laughed at the memory.

“Yifan and Tao weren’t that bad.”

“Oh, they were, love. You’re just too sweet to admit it.”

A few hours later when the others arrived; Jongin and Sehun with a group of admirers following him, Minseok and Kyungsoo wearing coats to ward off the cold, Tao, Kris and Luhan, bringing an air of superiority with them that quickly faded away when they started talking.

“Oh, I’ve been meaning to ask you, Chanyeol,” Luhan spoke up from where they stood around the counter, watching Jongin and Sehun set up the stage, the mics and instruments – the customers slowly piling inside the almost crammed up café. 

Chanyeol hummed in acknowledgement, looking at Luhan.

“Did you name this place?” Luhan asked, his eyes shining with curiosity. “What does it mean?”

“ _ Trouvaille _ ?” Chanyeol chuckled.

“It means Windfall, doesn’t it,” Baekhyun piped up from his stool. Jongdae and Minseok let out small laughs at the mention of the name.

“He spent so long trying to think of a good name for this place and he wanted it in a different language so it’d sound fancy,” Kyungsoo smirked at the memory. “He could barely focus on his classes.”

The others laughed, Yixing shaking beside him as he laughed along. He flushed in embarrassment but he laughed along with them.

“Do any of you even  _ know  _ what a windfall is?” Chanyeol demanded.

“Something lovely discovered by chance,” Yixing smiled when Chanyeol looked at him in surprise. “I looked it up the first time I came here to drink coffee and cry one late night. In a way, it  _ was _ something lovely. This place gave me sanctuary when I needed it and it gave me you.”

He looked at Chanyeol, his eyes bright with love affection.

Their friends made gagging noises all around them.

“Stop, please, you’re going to make me lose my dinner,” Tao whined, making them all laugh again.

“If you’re all done flirting back there, maybe we can start up the performances?” Sehun said into the mic from the front of the shop, making their small group look at him and the audience at them. Sehun smirked as Jongin laughed beside him, still untangling a cord in his hands.

Chanyeol rolled his eyes before smiling at his customer’s brightly.

“We’ll start in a few minutes everybody.”

Yixing lay on the bed, staring at the ceiling when Chanyeol exited the bathroom, rubbing his hair dry with a towel. They alternated sleeping in Chanyeol’s apartment and Yixing’s, still working on getting their own house. For tonight, they were in Chanyeol’s place.

“You asleep?” Chanyeol asked into the dim room, throwing his dirty clothes in the hamper and plopping down on bed.

Yixing made a small noise as an answer. Chanyeol chuckled at how adorably exhausted he looked. He remembered the first time Yixing had stayed over after drinking too much, how much he didn’t know about the man that now lay across his bed comfortably.

Chanyeol played with the hair that fell across Yixing’s forehead as he remembered just how much he wanted to hold Yixing close back then, not quite believing that he could do that freely now. 

Yixing blinked up at him sleepily, grabbing his wrist and pulling him down with him on the bed. Chanyeol sunk down by his side and smiled when Yixing curled up into his already open arms.

Yixing threw an arm across his chest and Chanyeol turned toward him, his own arms curling around his back, securing him. Yixing’s cheek brushed the smooth skin of his collarbone.Their legs were tangled together, Yixing’s foot over his ankle.

“You smell nice,” Yixing murmured, his breath tickling Chanyeol but still he gripped him tightly – so tight, he was afraid Yixing would smell like him for an entire week. Not that he thought Yixing minded.

Chanyeol rested his cheek on Yixing’s soft hair and kissed the top of his head.

“How was your day?” Chanyeol whispered.

That was how they fell asleep, arms around each other and talking in hushed tones about how their day and their work.

There, lying in the darkness, breathing in the sweet scent that was Yixing, Chanyeol couldn’t have been happier.

He was home.

  
  
  



End file.
